FILE-Semi-automatic rifles are seen for sale in a gun shop in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by ROBYN BECK/AFP via Getty Images)
The Department of Justice is mulling issuing a potential rule to restrict transgender people from being able to own guns.
Senior DOJ officials have held several meetings in the wake of the deadly Minneapolis Catholic school shooting to discuss a firearm ban for transgender Americans, according to two sources who spoke with The Washington Post.
Reuters reported that the federal government has not confirmed whether it plans to pursue gun restrictions for transgender people.
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When asked about recent media reports of a possible gun ban for transgender people, a Justice Department spokesperson told ABC News, “The DOJ is actively evaluating options to prevent the pattern of violence we have seen from individuals with specific mental health challenges and substance abuse disorders. No specific criminal justice proposals have been advanced at this time.”
The Minneapolis Catholic school shooting suspect Robin Westman was said to be transgender. Federal officials have referred to Westman as transgender, according to the Associated Press.
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But in an Aug. 28 news conference following the school shooting, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey criticized hatred being directed at “our transgender community.”
In 2019, the shooter legally changed their name from Robert to Robin. The name change filing states the shooter identified “as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification,” according to court records obtained by FOX 9.
Trump’s past executive orders aimed at the transgender community
The backstory:
While the Trump administration has not commented on the reported gun restrictions for transgender people, President Donald Trump has enforced other policies impacting the transgender community.
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Since beginning his second term in office in January, Trump has issued executive orders banning transgender people from serving in the military and prohibiting transgender women from competing in women’s sports.
The Source: Information for this story was provided by the Washington Post, Reuters, Newsweek, and FOX 9 Minneapolis. This story was reported from Washington, D.C.