Senior officials at the U.S. Department of Justice are actively discussing the possibility of banning transgender individuals from owning firearms, following a deadly shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis allegedly carried out by a transgender individual. Multiple DOJ sources confirmed to Breitbart News that the Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) has held several meetings on the matter in recent days.
The internal deliberations focus on whether individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria can be considered mentally unfit to own firearms under federal law. If adopted, such a measure would represent a sweeping redefinition of gun control policy and Second Amendment rights—applying restrictions based on medical or psychological conditions tied to transgender identification.
The DOJ has not made a final decision, but sources say Attorney General Pam Bondi is under pressure to take action. One DOJ source told Breitbart, “Democrats have called for common sense gun laws for a long time—this seems pretty common sense to me.”
The renewed interest comes in the wake of a mass shooting in Minnesota that left two children dead and 21 others injured. The suspect, reportedly identifying as transgender, opened fire at a Minneapolis Catholic school in what has been described as one of the deadliest school shootings of the year.
Vice President JD Vance visited the victims’ families and those recovering in the hospital. Vance refrained from endorsing specific legislation but acknowledged that Americans are desperate for solutions to stop the violence. “There’s a strong desire from across the political spectrum to do something so that these shootings are less common,” he said.
Vance’s former political opponent, Democrat Gov. Tim Walz, has promoted Minnesota as a “trans refuge” state, which has added another layer of controversy following the incident. Walz responded to the shooting by calling for more general gun control measures, while critics have pointed to the ideological environment surrounding his administration as part of the problem.
Conservative voices such as Turning Point USA’s Charlie Kirk have called for a federal ban on firearm ownership for individuals with gender dysphoria, arguing that it presents a mental health risk incompatible with responsible gun ownership.
If implemented, a federal ban targeting transgender individuals would likely face immediate legal challenges, with opponents arguing it violates both Second and Fourteenth Amendment protections. Supporters, however, claim that the unique mental health risks associated with gender dysphoria—and its growing link to high-profile violent incidents—warrant targeted intervention.
