The nation is again reeling from another tragic school shooting — this time at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, where Robin Westman, a 23-year-old transgender individual, murdered two children and injured 17 others during morning prayer before taking his own life (AP, Aug. 28, 2025).

While the families of the victims mourn, politicians and media figures have wasted no time calling for more gun control.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and other Democrats have demanded sweeping bans on commonly owned semi-automatic firearms, as well as new “red flag” gun confiscation laws (Reuters, Aug. 28, 2025).

But these calls ignore two critical realities: Minnesota already has extensive gun control laws, and neither Minneapolis nor the state is lacking in Democratic leadership. If gun restrictions were the answer, this crime should never have occurred.

Instead, the more pressing questions are being ignored — questions about untreated mental illness, radical identity politics, and the dangerous trend of political violence fueled by the Left’s rhetoric.

Ideology, Identity Politics, and Hatred of Trump

Westman’s writings and videos make one thing unmistakably clear: this was not simply a random act of violence.

His journals reveal deep regret over his transgender transition, an obsession with self-hatred, and seething anger directed toward Christians and conservatives.

Most tellingly, the rifle Westman used in the massacre was emblazoned with the words: “F* Donald Trump”** (Fox News, Aug. 28, 2025).

This is no small detail. It fits a broader pattern of politically motivated violence targeting conservatives and Trump supporters.

Recall the 2017 shooting at a Republican congressional baseball practice, where a Bernie Sanders supporter nearly assassinated Rep. Steve Scalise (Washington Post, June 14, 2017). Or the repeated attempts on former President Trump’s life in recent years.

The Minneapolis attack continues this pattern — political violence fueled by extreme rhetoric and cultural radicalization.

The Brandon Herrera Smear

One of the most bizarre elements of this case is Westman’s pre-attack video in which he referenced Brandon Herrera, a Texas firearms manufacturer, YouTube personality, and Republican congressional candidate (Houston Chronicle, Aug. 27, 2025).

Westman claimed he had met Herrera at the SHOT Show in Las Vegas, that they agreed on “a lot of things,” and even urged people to vote for Herrera for president.

This was immediately met with strong denial. Herrera himself said, “I have no recollection of this person whatsoever. My team and I are disgusted that my name was even mentioned by this monster” (Independent, Aug. 28, 2025).

The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF), which organizes SHOT Show, confirmed that Westman was not a registered attendee of the trade show in any year (NSSF Statement, Aug. 29, 2025).

For context, SHOT Show is not open to the general public. It is the largest firearms industry trade show in the world, requiring direct industry credentials or sponsorship to attend. While massive in scale, it is still tightly regulated.

That means Westman almost certainly did not attend, much less meet Herrera.

Instead, the mention of Herrera was likely a deliberate political smear, an attempt to tie an outspoken conservative and pro-gun figure to a heinous crime.

The Role of the Media and Infamy

Another recurring theme in Westman’s journals is his fixation on other mass shooters. He referenced Columbine’s Eric Harris, Sandy Hook’s Adam Lanza, and several others, expressing a desire to be remembered “in the most horrible way possible” (AP, Aug. 28, 2025).

He consumed documentaries and accounts of past shootings, using them as inspiration.

This should serve as a wake-up call. Research consistently shows that media coverage of mass shootings can inspire copycats.

A 2015 study published in PLOS ONE found that mass shootings and school shootings are “contagious” for up to 13 days after high-profile incidents (PLOS ONE, Towers et al., 2015).

Dr. John Lott Jr. has also shown that killers are often motivated by a desire for fame, reinforced by wall-to-wall coverage that glorifies their names and faces (Crime Prevention Research Center, 2019).

By focusing relentlessly on the weapon used while downplaying the ideological motivations or the mental health crisis, the media not only misleads the public but also incentivizes future killers who crave notoriety.

Parsing the Viral “Transgender Shooters” Epidemic Narrative — What’s Confirmed, Disputed, or False

The mainstream media likes to claim there is no transgender shooting epidemic, often citing that it accounts for less than 1% of mass shootings. Of course, the media also uses skewed data on what constitutes a “mass shooting,” which nowadays includes gang violence and or a targeted criminal element, and not the widely televised mass shooting events most Americans refer to as a mass shooting.

So let’s breakdown recent purported “transgender shootings” — and also separate documented cases from rumors:

Nashville, TN (Covenant School, 2023) — Confirmed transgender; six killed; writings recovered (case summary & sources).

Colorado Springs, CO (Club Q, 2022) — Attorneys stated the suspect is nonbinary in court filings; five killed (CBS Colorado; AP).

Aberdeen, MD (Rite Aid warehouse, 2018) — Reported as transgender by acquaintances; three killed (workplace) (KERA/NPR citing Baltimore Sun).

Denver area, CO (STEM School Highlands Ranch, 2019) — Transgender teen co-perpetrator; 1 killed, 8 wounded (widely televised school attack) (CBS Colorado; 6ABC).

Philadelphia, PA (Kingsessing, 2023) — Disputed/Unconfirmed transgender claims; officials did not confirm (VICE; Wikipedia case file).

Iowa (Perry HS, 2024) — Rumor about “gender-fluid” identity not supported by police reports or credible sourcing (Newsweek).

Uvalde, TX (Robb Elementary, 2022) — False transgender claim; widely debunked (PolitiFact; FactCheck.org).

Minneapolis, MN (Annunciation Catholic, 2025) — Reported transgender; two children killed; identity noted in multiple outlets (Reuters).

While there certainly seems to be an uptick in mass shootings where the shooter is purported to be transgender,  it is important to caution against viral lists that mix true and false claims, which can undermine legitimate criticism.

Guns, Mental Health, and the SSRIs Question

It is important to stress: guns are not the cause here.

Guns are tools — used overwhelmingly by law-abiding Americans for self-defense, sport, and hunting. The U.S. has more than 400 million privately owned firearms, yet only a tiny fraction are ever misused (ATF Firearms Commerce Report, 2023).

What matters are the individuals who pull the trigger. And in case after case, we see the same patterns: untreated mental illness, social alienation, and often a mix of prescription medications with troubling side effects.

In this case, it remains unclear what medications Westman was taking.

However, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has announced an investigation into whether SSRIs or gender-transition-related hormones may have played a role (NY Post, Aug. 28, 2025).

While some critics dismiss this, it is a serious question. Many major mass shooters in the past two decades were on SSRIs or similar medications (Washington Post, Aug. 29, 2025). Combined with radical identity confusion and hormonal treatments, the potential for destabilization is obvious.

Yet instead of demanding answers, politicians prefer the easier narrative: blame the gun.

The Failure of Gun Control

Minnesota has universal background checks, a “permit-to-purchase” requirement for handguns, firearm registration in some jurisdictions, and bans on private transfers without government oversight (Giffords Law Center, Minnesota Gun Laws).

They even have a “red flag” gun confiscation law — that national figures are claiming we need nationally to prevent these types of incidents.

Minneapolis has enacted additional local ordinances restricting gun ownership.

None of this stopped Westman.

In fact, consistent research shows that so-called “gun-free zones” — like Annunciation Catholic School — are precisely where these tragedies occur.

According to research at the Crime Prevention Research Center, 94% of mass public shootings since 1950 have occurred in gun-free zones (CPRC, 2018).

Killers choose these locations precisely because they know they will face little resistance.

Instead of stripping rights from the law-abiding, states should be expanding lawful carry and encouraging trained, armed defense in schools and churches.

We hear it time and again but it is true: the only thing that reliably stops a bad guy with a gun is a good guy with a gun.

Minneapolis Deserves Action, But Gun Control Is Not the SolutionThe Minneapolis Catholic school shooting is a tragedy that demands honest examination. But we will not get that from politicians or the legacy media.

They will ignore the shooter’s transgender regret.

They will ignore his anti-Trump hatred.

They will ignore his deliberate attempt to smear a conservative, pro-gun figure like Brandon Herrera.

They will ignore his obsession with infamy and past killers.

Instead, they will do what they always do: push for more gun control that disarms law-abiding citizens and leaves the vulnerable defenseless.

The real lesson of Minneapolis is not that we need fewer guns. It’s that we need more honesty about the cultural and mental health crises tearing at this country.

Until we confront those root causes — and stop incentivizing infamy — tragedies like this will continue.

And in the meantime, Americans must never surrender the one right that ensures their ability to protect themselves and their families: the Second Amendment.