In a move that’s sure to ignite fierce debate, the Department of Justice under President Trump is exploring ways to limit transgender Americans’ access to firearms after a heartbreaking tragedy in Minneapolis.
According to New York Post, following a horrific shooting at Annunciation Catholic School, the Justice Department is discussing proposals that could prevent transgender individuals from purchasing guns, a response to an incident that left two children dead and at least 18 others injured.
The tragedy unfolded on a Wednesday morning during a back-to-school Mass at the Minneapolis school, just two days after students began their first week of classes.
The shooter, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, a trans woman, opened fire through the church’s stained glass windows, turning a celebratory event into a scene of unimaginable loss.
Westman, whose mother had worked at the school, ended the attack with a self-inflicted gunshot wound, leaving behind a trail of devastation and unanswered questions.
Details later emerged that Westman legally purchased the firearms used in the attack, with surveillance footage from Frontiersman Sports in St. Louis Park showing the shooter grinning while testing the weapons, a chilling image now seared into public memory.
Investigators uncovered writings and videos from Westman, including a handwritten manifesto blaming a past relationship with a girlfriend described as a “furry” as the “root of my suffering.”
Additionally, gun magazines found at the scene bore scrawled messages like “Kill Donald Trump” and “for the children,” hinting at a deeply troubled mindset.
While these personal grievances offer a glimpse into Westman’s motives, they’ve also fueled a broader policy debate in Washington about Second Amendment rights and mental health.
The Justice Department’s response has been swift, with some members suggesting a ban on firearm ownership for transgender individuals could follow Trump’s earlier executive order barring their military service.
One idea floated is a formal declaration by the president that identifying as transgender equates to mental illness, thereby disqualifying such individuals from gun ownership—a proposal that’s as bold as it is legally fraught.
Senior White House officials, however, are waving caution flags, noting that federal law requires a judge to declare someone mentally “defective” before stripping gun rights, making a blanket ban a logistical nightmare.
Let’s not kid ourselves—implementing a mass restriction on any group’s constitutional rights is like trying to thread a needle in a hurricane; legal challenges would rain down faster than you can say “Second Amendment.”
Attorney General Bondi, no stranger to gun control debates after defending Florida’s post-Parkland age restriction laws, is also known for scrutinizing transgender medical treatments, sending subpoenas to clinics providing care to minors.
As a DOJ spokesman told the Daily Wire, “Under Attorney General Bondi’s leadership, this Department of Justice is actively considering a range of options to prevent mentally unstable individuals from committing acts of violence, especially at schools.” Well, that’s a noble goal, but targeting an entire demographic based on one tragic case feels like using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut—especially when most mass shootings have no link to transgender individuals, a fact conveniently sidelined by some conservative outlets amplifying this narrative.
