In the wake of the devastating shooting in Nashville, TN on Monday that left six people dead, including three children, Republican lawmakers responded with a mix of calls for increased safety measures, a greater focus on mental health and caution against changing gun access laws. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn. ) said that Congress "couldn't fix it" and that he and his family home schooled their daughter out of safety concerns. Rep. On Fox & Friends of Fox, Rep. Burchett called for a national “Revival” to stop the killings. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), House Majority Leader Steve Scalise (R-La. ), and Sen. John Thune (R-S.D. ) all echoed the sentiment that more facts were needed to be known before discussing legislative solutions. Rep. Byron Donalds (R-Fla.) suggested that lawmakers should focus on school security and mental health rather than considering changes to gun laws. Meanwhile, the senator has sent Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark. ) and Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah) argued both against restrictions on gun access.
The Nashville shooting also sparked a flurry of anti-trans rhetoric by conservative commentators and Republican politicians. Fox News Host Tucker Carlson featured a photo of the shooter superimposed with the words “Trans Killer” on his Tuesday show. Despite the fact that police have said the shooter was transgender, CBS News Executives have issued a directive to staff to avoid using the word “transgender” when reporting on the shooting. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga. ) speculated on Twitter and in a congressional hearing Wednesday that hormone treatment may have played a role in the shooting, while the former president Donald Trump also connected the shooting of Nashville to hormone therapy and “the anger that was caused”, without evidence.
Data shows that there is no ‘clear epidemic’ of transgender mass shooters, and transgender people are more likely to be victims of violence than cisgender people. LGBTQ advocates expressed concerns that anti-trans rhetoric in the wake of the Nashville shooting will buoy a blitz of anti-trans bills in state legislatures to restrict access to gender-affirming medical care for both adults and minors. Cheap online software now allows anyone to quickly and convincingly impersonate a person's voice and it has been used for corporate thefts and impostor scams. This has lead to a “rash of hoax calls” in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, believed to be computer generated, falsely reporting active shooters at schools. *
The tragedy in Nashville brought to light how trolls and liars are using computer tools to muddle the truth about mass killings either to stir up panic or take advantage of tragedies for ideological gain. In addition, the Nashville shooting has highlighted the need for increased safety measures, greater focus on mental health and caution against changing access to guns. As lawmakers continue to grapple with how to move forward in the wake of this tragedy, it is essential to remember that there is no ‘clear epidemic’ of transgender mass shooters - transgender people are more likely to be victims of violence than perpetrators.