NPR Clarifies Gender of Minnesota Catholic School Shooter Amid FBI Hate Crime Probe

Following the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, where Robin Westman, a transgender-identifying individual born as Robert Westman, killed two children and injured several others before committing suicide, NPR host Ailsa Chang clarified Sen. Amy Klobuchar's reference to the shooter as 'he.' Although Klobuchar used male pronouns during the interview, Chang noted that the shooter's gender was 'unclear' despite police identification confirming Westman's transgender status with a legal name change from Robert to Robin. Klobuchar described the shooter as motivated by 'all-purpose hate' targeting multiple groups and called him a 'madman.' The FBI is investigating the attack as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics. The media's handling of the shooter's gender identity has sparked criticism, with some accusing outlets like NPR of political correctness overshadowing the severity of the shooting and motives involved. Court and police records affirm Westman's transgender background, but the focus on pronouns in coverage has become a contentious issue.