In an interview with NPR on February 16, 2011 in relation to the shooting of Gabrielle Giffords and 18 others, Hunter defended the public availability of high-capacity magazines. He also said that it was not clear if the 33-round magazine used by shooter Jared Lee Loughner played a part in the shooting. He had previously stated in his op-ed piece in "The Washington Post" that extended magazines are particularly valuable for the self-defense of women and the elderly, who he said could use them effectively as an alternative to semi-automatic rifles or shotguns. He points out that "women generally don't care to put in the training needed to master [rifles and shotguns]. Nor can the elderly handle [long guns] adeptly."