Two innocent children lost their lives this week in Minneapolis when a transgender shooter opened fire during a Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church and School. Seventeen others were wounded, and the community is left grieving in shock and horror.
Featured Snippet Takeaway: A transgender shooter killed two children at a Christian school in Minneapolis, reminding Christians of the urgent need to confront gender dysphoria with truth, justice, and compassion.
The Reality We Cannot Ignore
This isn’t the first time we’ve seen it. In 2023, the Covenant School in Nashville was targeted by a transgender-identifying shooter. Now, in 2025, it has happened again at a Christian school in Minneapolis. These are rare but sobering patterns that Christians cannot simply brush aside.
The facts are plain: the Minneapolis shooter, 23-year-old Robin Westman, left behind disturbing writings full of hatred, despair, and confusion. Westman’s life ended in suicide at the scene, making the tragedy a murder–suicide. Two families will never hold their children again, and an entire community must now walk through grief that feels unbearable. Breitbart reports the details here.
Gender Dysphoria and Culture’s Redefinition
For decades, the American Psychiatric Association classified what we now call gender dysphoria as a mental disorder under the name “Gender Identity Disorder.” That changed in 2013, when the APA deliberately removed the word “disorder,” not because the suffering had disappeared, but to reduce stigma. They reframed the diagnosis as “distress” rather than disorder — a cultural concession more than a medical breakthrough.
But words don’t erase reality. Many who experience gender dysphoria continue to wrestle with depression, anxiety, and suicidal thoughts. We can’t heal brokenness by pretending it isn’t broken. For more on this, see my post on The Christian Response to Gender Ideology.
The Call for Christians
As followers of Christ, we must speak plainly: God created us male and female (Genesis 1:27). His design is good. When we reject that design, confusion and pain inevitably follow. Romans 1 reminds us that when truth is suppressed, the result is disorder, dishonor, and destruction.
Yet, we don’t speak these truths as people who are “above” others. I know personally what it means to wrestle with desires and identity that don’t align with God’s Word. My struggle with same-sex attraction has been a lifelong battle, and I have only stood firm because brothers and sisters in Christ have walked with me — encouraging me, correcting me, and pointing me back to the cross.
That’s what we are called to do for those experiencing gender dysphoria. Not to affirm a lie, but to come alongside with grace and truth. Jesus is the only one who can bring true peace to the restless heart.
Justice and Mercy Together
We cannot talk about compassion without talking about justice. Two children are dead. Their families will carry this grief for the rest of their lives. Scripture assures us that “Shall not the Judge of all the earth do what is just?” (Genesis 18:25).
God is both perfectly just and perfectly merciful. He sees the pain of the victims and promises that justice will not be ignored. At the same time, His mercy remains open to all who repent and believe. The cross itself is where justice and mercy meet — sin paid for in full, mercy poured out abundantly.
For more on this vital balance, see my earlier post: Biblical Justice in a Lawless Culture: Why Truth Still Matters.
A Culture in Crisis
What we are witnessing is more than individual tragedy. It is a culture in rebellion against God’s design. When identity becomes self-defined instead of God-given, the result is confusion, despair, and, in extreme cases, violence.
This is why Christians must hold fast to both conviction and compassion. We cannot affirm what God calls sin, but neither can we neglect the hurting souls who need to hear the Gospel. The world offers surgery, hormones, and new pronouns. Christ offers forgiveness, peace, and a new heart.
How Christians Must Respond
So what do we do in the face of tragedies like this?
- We grieve deeply with the families and the church community. “Mourn with those who mourn” (Romans 12:15).
- We speak truth about God’s design, even when it is unpopular. “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path” (Psalm 119:105).
- We extend compassion to those struggling with gender confusion, remembering that without Christ, we are all lost.
- We stand for justice for the victims and their families, because God’s justice is part of His perfect character.
Closing
The Minneapolis tragedy is a painful reminder that we live in a fallen world where confusion and sin lead to destruction. But it is also a reminder that God’s truth is not shaken. He remains the anchor for broken hearts and a confused culture.
Our mission as Christians is clear: stand boldly for truth, extend compassion to the broken, and cling to the justice and mercy of God. That is how we honor the victims, uphold God’s design, and shine light into a world that desperately needs hope.
Arch Kennedy
Bold, Unfiltered, and Unafraid
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