Rosie O'Donnell Apologizes for Misidentifying Minneapolis School Shooter

Comedian Rosie O'Donnell apologized for falsely identifying the Minnesota school shooter, Robin Westman, as a MAGA Republican and white supremacist after the tragic attack at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. Westman, a self-identified transgender woman, killed two children and injured 17 others before taking their own life, and was found to have expressed hatred toward multiple groups and harbored anti-Trump sentiments, including the phrase "kill Donald Trump" written on her weapons. O'Donnell initially made her incorrect claims in an emotional TikTok video but retracted her statements after public backlash, acknowledging she did not do her due diligence and had assumed the shooter fit a typical profile. She issued multiple apologies, emphasizing the importance of admitting mistakes and expressing regret for her rushed judgment. The incident highlights the volatile intersection of politics, misinformation, and tragic violence in the U.S., with O'Donnell's reversal underscoring the need for careful fact-checking before public commentary. This development came amid ongoing national debates around gun violence and political polarization.