Doug Hamlin, the newly appointed boss of the NRA, was involved in the torture and killing of a fraternity house cat while he was a college student in Michigan in 1979. The incident involved chopping off the cat’s paws, hanging it from a tree, and setting fire to it because it failed to use its litter box. Hamlin, who was a member of Alpha Delta Phi at the University of Michigan, admitted to taking responsibility for the cat’s killing at the time.
Hamlin denies being directly involved in the cat’s killing and attributes his taking responsibility to being the fraternity chapter’s president at the time. He stated that he does not condone the actions that took place over 44 years ago and has focused on leading a life beyond reproach since then. Although the judge overseeing the case called the cat killing a “cold, calculating, ruthless act,” all five students involved in the incident pleaded no contest and were ordered to pay court costs and perform community service work.
The charges related to the cat killing were later expunged from the men’s records. One of the men involved in the incident stated that only three of them physically participated in the cat’s torture and killing, while the other two did not intervene. The man expressed remorse for their actions and believed the hate and threats they received were unreasonable. Shelagh Abbs Winter, who reported the cat’s killing to authorities, still holds the view that those involved in the incident are “creeps.”
Hamlin was appointed as the NRA’s chief executive officer and executive vice president in May, after serving as the executive director of the organization’s publishing arm. His appointment came after the NRA’s longtime leader, Wayne LaPierre, was banned from holding a paid position due to misappropriation of funds. Hamlin’s focus now is on protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, despite the controversies surrounding his past actions.
The incident from 1979 involving Hamlin’s role in animal cruelty has resurfaced in the media amidst his new leadership role in the NRA. Despite the disturbing nature of the cat killing incident, Hamlin has maintained that he has endeavored to live his life in a manner beyond reproach since then. The judge overseeing the case expressed disappointment in the men involved in the incident, but they were able to move on with their lives after fulfilling the consequences of their actions. Hamlin’s past actions continue to be scrutinized as he takes on his new position within the NRA.
