Unsplash
Law enforcement recently thwarted a possible school shooting planned by 19-year-old William "Lilly" Whitworth, after her sister alerted authorities to the threats targeting Colorado Springs' Academy School District 20.
Whitworth's manifesto outlined firearm specifications, 3D printing techniques, target locations, projected casualties, and instructions for creating improvised explosive devices. Timberview Middle School, Prairie Hills Kindergarten, and Pine Creek High School were identified as targets.
Among the items seized were a copy of The Communist Manifesto and a notebook containing suicidal thoughts. This incident underscores the significance of vigilance and public awareness.
In light of the recent tragedy at the Covenant School in Nashville, Tennessee, involving a transgender shooter, some have sought to monolithically portray transgender individuals as violent radicals. However, it is crucial to rely on accurate information and avoid politicizing these tragedies.
According to the Washington Post, Benny Johnson, production chief at Turning Point USA, tweeted, “One thing is VERY clear: the modern trans movement is radicalizing activists into terrorists.” Johnson cited four shootings to support this claim.
In 2018, a 26-year-old man in Aberdeen, Maryland, killed three people and then himself at a pharmaceutical distribution center. The shooter, diagnosed with mental illness in 2016, reportedly battled bipolar disorder, severe depression, and a lack of acceptance after coming out as gay and later transgender.
In 2019, two individuals opened fire at a Denver, Colorado charter school, resulting in one death and eight injuries. One of the shooters, a 16-year-old at the time, informed police that they targeted students who taunted them for being transgender.
A 22-year-old nonbinary man killed five people and injured 25 others at an LGBTQ bar in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in 2022. However, a police detective testified that the shooter also owned a neo-Nazi website.
The recent Nashville tragedy, where a 28-year-old transgender individual fired shots inside the Covenant School, killing three children and three adults.
The Violence Project has documented 188 mass public killings in the United States since 1966, defined as incidents in which four or more people were killed by gunfire, excluding the shooter. Among these cases, the only instance of a trans perpetrator is the Nashville shooting.
Using the broader definition of mass shootings, which includes four or more individuals shot or killed, the Gun Violence Archive lists 2,697 such incidents. This expanded definition encompasses the Aberdeen and Denver shootings involving transgender shooters.
The transgender population represents only 0.6% of the U.S. population aged 13 and older, so statistically, they should account for at least 16 shooters, which is not the case. It is essential not to let political rhetoric overshadow the tragedy and loss of life.
Key Points:
Law enforcement averted a potential school shooting after the 19-year-old suspect's sister reported their threats, which targeted Academy School District 20 in Colorado Springs, CO.
The suspect, William "Lilly" Whitworth, penned a manifesto outlining her plans for the attack, including 3D-printed firearms, target selection, and improvised explosive devices.
Some individuals have claimed an increase in transgender mass shooters following the Covenant School tragedy in Nashville, Tennessee, but accurate statistics do not support these assertions.
Since 1966, there has been only one instance of a transgender perpetrator in mass public killings, with the broader definition of mass shootings indicating three possible cases involving transgender shooters.