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Few Transgender Mass Shooters in U.S. Despite Recent Claims, Data Shows
In the wake of a shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic church and school where two children were killed and 21 others injured by an alleged shooter who identified as transgender, some Republican commentators have suggested transgender individuals are responsible for many mass shootings in the United States.
This narrative gained traction when Donald Trump Jr. claimed on Fox News that he couldn’t “name a mass shooting in the last year or two in America that wasn’t committed by, you know, a transgender lunatic.” Similarly, Sebastian Gorka, White House Senior Director for Counter Terrorism, stated during a CNN appearance that “in just a couple of years, we have seen seven mass shootings involving people of transgender nature.”
Data from independent tracking organizations, however, tells a different story.
The Gun Violence Archive (GVA), which defines mass shootings as incidents with at least four victims shot, either injured or killed, documented 5,748 mass shootings between January 2013 and September 2024. According to Mark Bryant, the GVA’s founding executive director, only five of these incidents involved confirmed transgender shooters—representing less than 0.1% of all mass shootings during this period.
These five incidents include the August 2024 shooting in Minneapolis, the March 2023 shooting at a school in Nashville, the November 2022 shooting at a gay bar in Colorado Springs (though the convicted shooter identified as nonbinary, not necessarily transgender), the May 2019 shooting at a school in Highlands Ranch, Colorado, and the September 2018 shooting at a warehouse in Aberdeen, Maryland.
Gorka’s claimed total of seven included shootings in Perry, Iowa, and Philadelphia. However, the gender identity of the alleged Perry shooter hasn’t been established, and local law enforcement officials have stated that the Philadelphia suspect is not transgender, contradicting some false claims.
Even using a more expansive estimate, Bryant suggested the number of transgender mass shooters could be as high as eight if including individuals whose gender identity hasn’t been verified—still less than 0.2% of incidents since 2018.
The Violence Prevention Project at Hamline University employs a more restrictive definition of mass shootings: “four or more people shot and killed, excluding the shooter, in a public location, with no connection to underlying criminal activity.” Using this metric, their database identifies 201 mass shooters between 1966 and 2024, with only one being transgender—the 2023 Nashville school shooting suspect.
James Densley, the project’s co-founder and deputy director, noted that several high-profile shootings, including those in Highlands Ranch, Aberdeen, Minneapolis, and Colorado Springs, did not meet their definition of a mass shooting.
“Even if you expand beyond strict definitions, we are still talking about a handful of cases in a nation that experiences tens of thousands of shootings annually,” Densley explained. “Put simply, transgender individuals account for a vanishingly small proportion of perpetrators.”
The Violence Prevention Project’s data shows that of their documented 201 mass shooters, 97.5% are cisgender men, 2% are cisgender women, and 0.5% are transgender individuals. Densley pointed out that approximately 1% of the U.S. population identifies as transgender, meaning transgender perpetrators are actually underrepresented in mass shooting statistics.
Dr. Ragy Girgis, a Columbia University professor of clinical psychiatry and expert on mass murders, emphasized that being transgender is “not a causative factor in mass shootings.”
“There’s no reason that being trans would have anything to do with mass shootings,” Girgis said. “So, when it’s seen, it’s completely incidental. The data are clear on that.”
The Trump administration has reportedly explored ways to prohibit transgender people from purchasing guns, according to an Associated Press source familiar with the matter, despite the statistical evidence showing transgender individuals represent a very small fraction of mass shooters.
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16 Comments
This fact-check article provides a balanced perspective on a sensitive topic. It’s concerning to see politicians making unsupported generalizations. Data-driven analysis is essential for understanding societal issues.
I agree, facts should guide the discussion, not partisan rhetoric. Responsible reporting that cites reliable sources is important, especially on issues as serious as mass shootings.
The data presented in this article paints a very different picture than the one being pushed by some commentators. It’s a good reminder to be wary of agenda-driven rhetoric and to focus on objective analysis.
Well said. Fact-checking is crucial to counter the spread of misinformation and ensure that important discussions are grounded in reality.
This fact-check sheds important light on an issue that has become politicized. It’s reassuring to see the data does not support the notion of transgender individuals being disproportionately involved in mass shootings.
Yes, it’s crucial that we base our understanding on reliable data, not unsubstantiated claims. This article provides a valuable perspective grounded in facts.
The data showing a small number of transgender mass shooters is quite surprising given the claims made. It’s a good reminder to be skeptical of sensational narratives and to look at the actual numbers.
Absolutely, we should be cautious about drawing conclusions without sufficient evidence. This article does a commendable job of separating fact from fiction.
This fact-check provides a much-needed reality check on the claims about transgender individuals and mass shootings. It’s important to rely on credible data sources and resist the urge to jump to conclusions.
Absolutely. Responsible journalism that scrutinizes dubious narratives and presents the facts is vital for informed public discourse on sensitive topics.
Interesting data. It’s important to look at facts and not get carried away by political narratives. Transgender individuals seem to not be disproportionately represented among mass shooters, which is good to know.
Yes, it’s crucial to rely on credible data sources rather than unsubstantiated claims. The Gun Violence Archive provides helpful insights on this complex issue.
The statistics presented in this article seem to contradict the narrative being pushed by some political commentators. It’s a good reminder to be cautious about making sweeping generalizations without solid evidence.
Agreed. Fact-checking and data analysis are essential to having a meaningful, nuanced discussion on complex societal issues like this.
This fact-check provides a valuable reality check on the claims about transgender individuals and mass shootings. It’s a good example of how data and credible sources should guide our understanding of complex societal issues.
I agree, this article demonstrates the importance of separating fact from fiction and relying on reputable data sources, rather than unsubstantiated narratives.