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4d ago

DOJ Weighs Rule to Restrict Gun Ownership for Transgender People After Minneapolis Shooting

Officials describe the idea as preliminary with no specific proposal advanced.

Police and first responders work at the scene of a shooting near Annunciation Church and Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minneosta, on August 27, 2025. Two children were shot dead when a gunman attacked a Minneapolis church on Wednesday, with 17 people injured, 14 of them children, police said. The gunman "began firing a rifle through the church windows towards the children sitting in the pews at the mass," Minneapolis police chief Brian O'Hara told reporters. The pupils were marking the first week of the school year when the attack occurred. (Photo by Tom BAKER / AFP) (Photo by TOM BAKER/AFP via Getty Images)
A member of law enforcement handles firearms that were recovered during the arrests of an alleged DC-based drug trafficking organization that sold PCP and fentanyl, prior to a press conference announcing the investigation at the Office of the US Attorney in Washington, DC, August 26, 2025.
A U.S. Justice Department logo or seal showing Justice Department headquarters, known as "Main Justice," is seen behind the podium in the Department's headquarters briefing room before a news conference with the Attorney General in Washington, January 24, 2023. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo

Overview

  • Senior Justice Department officials are discussing whether to use rulemaking to classify gender dysphoria as a disqualifying mental condition for firearm purchases, according to multiple outlet reports citing DOJ sources.
  • The talks accelerated following the Aug. 27 attack at Minneapolis’ Annunciation Catholic Church/School that killed two children and injured at least 21, with police identifying the suspect as a 23-year-old transgender woman.
  • A DOJ spokesperson said the department is actively evaluating options to prevent violence but that no specific criminal justice proposals have been advanced at this time.
  • Legal experts note federal law generally requires a judicial finding that someone is mentally “defective” to remove gun rights, and DOJ’s Office of Legal Counsel is being consulted on potential paths and risks.
  • Medical groups including the American Psychiatric Association say being transgender is not a mental illness, and advocacy organizations such as the Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, and Gun Owners of America signaled immediate opposition and constitutional challenges.