 After the Dec. 14, 2012 massacre of school children in Newtown, Connecticut, one of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history, Cox was reported to have recommended the NRA take a lower-key approach amid a wave of national outrage.Instead, NRA chief executive Wayne LaPierre decided to go on the offensive and actively lobby for security guards in schools.Cox was placed on administrative leave June 20, 2019 and resigned from his NRA position June 26, 2019 after NRA officials accused of him participating in an extortion scheme to oust LaPierre from the organization.