Marg Helgenberger Tweet: 'One Can Only Hope' An NRA Member Gets Shot Post-Newtown Shooting

In the aftermath of the elementary school shooting that took place Friday in Newtown, Conn. at Sandy Hook, a gun-control debate is under way with many weighing in with their opinions.

Now, former "CSI" actress Marg Helgenberge joined in the controversial discussion after she responded to a tweet saying "One can only hope" a National Rifle Association (NRA) member gets shot.

Helgenberger's tweet was in response to author Joyce Carol Oates, who tweeted a cynical message to followers after the Sandy Hook massacre: "If sizable numbers of NRA members become gun-victims themselves, maybe hope for legislation of firearms?" Carol Oates wrote.

"One can only hope, but sadly I don't think anything would change," Helgenberger tweeted in response to Carol Oates Friday.

But it wasn't until Wednesday that pundits caught word of the tweet, thanks to The Drudge Report, and began to criticize the actress. According to The Wrap, Helgenberger eventually deleted the tweet when Twitter users interpreted her message as supporting shooting NRA members.

"Are you encouraging violence against those who dare disagree with you?" one man tweeted to the actress.

"Congrats for becoming yet another clueless, VIOLENT, liberal 'elite' who shoved her foot in her mouth. Shame on you, lady," a Twitter user named Conservative Girl wrote.

Another person tweeted: "Awful hateful Marg. Killing to stop killing?"

"You are saying you hope for more shootings? No wonder you favor gun control. All you'll get is more violence," a third person added.

Marg Helgenberger, who left "CSI" in January, never responded to the tweet responses and her publicist did follow up with The Wrap.

Despite the tweets having been deleted, Twitchy has the full exchange on its website.