Are Transgender Mass Shootings on the Rise? What We Know, What We Don't
Hale was transgender.Authorities have not revealed any details about whether the shooter had transitioned or received gender-affirming care, saying only that Hale had used masculine pronouns on social media.In the days since, the shooting has provoked huge discussion and debate from both sides of the political divide.President Joe Biden and some Democrats have renewed their calls for Congress to act, starting with an assault weapons ban.
Some Republicans and conservatives have said that guns are not at the root of the tragedy, instead honing in on the shooter's reported gender identity."There's a clear epidemic of trans or nonbinary mass shooters," Donald Trump Jr.
said earlier this week.Benny Johnson, of Turning Point USA, tweeted that "one thing is VERY clear: the modern trans movement is radicalizing activists into terrorists."The arguments about statistics are complex, and there is much that is still not known.
But, overall, experts told Newsweek that such claims are not supported by the recorded data.In his tweet, Johnson cited four shootings allegedly committed by transgender or non-binary perpetrators."The Colorado Springs shooter identified as non binary.
