Gender ‘clarification’ released after Klobuchar refers to Minnesota shooter as ‘he’

Klobuchar Clarifies Misgendering in Interview Following School Shooting

Senator Amy Klobuchar, representing Minnesota, offered a clarification after mistakenly referring to the shooter in a tragic school incident as “he” during an NPR interview. This took place shortly after the shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis.

In her remarks to NPR’s Ailsa Chang, Klobuchar used male pronouns to mention the shooter, who later was identified, but Chang reminded listeners that the shooter’s gender had not been confirmed.

In the shocking event, 23-year-old Robin Westman was identified as the shooter, who fatally shot two children and injured 17 others during a morning mass. According to reports, Westman had legally purchased three firearms and took his own life following the attack.

Klobuchar, while discussing possible motives for such violence, stated, “We can’t overlook the presence of hatred. It seems clear this individual harbored intense animosity toward various groups.” She even labeled the shooter as “a madman” and recounted the horrifying scene where children were hiding in fear.

Westman, who changed his name from Robert to Robin in 2019, has a complicated history. Court records indicate that the name change was documented through a form submitted by someone believed to be his mother, which emphasized a hope for gender identification matching the new name.

The FBI is now exploring the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism with potential hate crime implications, especially given the young ages of the victims involved.

This incident reflects ongoing discussions about the importance and complexities of gender identity. NPR previously issued guidelines emphasizing the respectful use of gender identity terminology.