Fact check: When Considering the amount of transgender population, are they over represented in mass shootings tragedies?

1. Summary of the results

The available data definitively shows that transgender individuals are not overrepresented in mass shootings. According to the Gun Violence Archive, fewer than 10 known suspects in mass shootings over the last decade have been transgender, representing only 0.11% of the 4,400 shootings recorded ^[1]. This percentage is significantly lower than the estimated transgender population in the United States.

Multiple fact-checking sources confirm that most mass shootings are carried out by cisgender men, with data from The Violence Project and the U.S. Secret Service National Threat Assessment Center supporting this conclusion ^[2]. The claim that most mass shooters are transgender or non-binary has been found to be missing crucial context ^[2].

Furthermore, mass casualty shootings perpetrated by someone identifying as trans or nonbinary are rare, and these groups are far more likely to be victims of violence rather than perpetrators ^[3].

2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints

The original question fails to acknowledge several critical pieces of context:

• Transgender people are disproportionately victims of violence, not perpetrators. At least 32 transgender and gender-expansive people died from violence in 2024, with 78% being people of color and 56% being Black transgender women ^[4].
• The transgender community faces persistent marginalization and risks of violence and harassment, particularly Black trans women, at the hands of strangers, partners, family members, and law enforcement ^[5].
• Political figures like Alabama Lt. Gov. Will Ainsworth have made claims linking the transgender community to mass shootings despite contradictory data ^[1]. Such claims may serve political purposes by scapegoating a vulnerable minority group.
• The focus on transgender perpetrators diverts attention from the actual demographic most responsible for mass shootings: cisgender men.

3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement

The original question contains an implicit assumption that transgender people might be overrepresented in mass shootings, which contradicts established data. This framing:

• Perpetuates harmful stereotypes about transgender individuals without factual basis
• Ignores the reality that transgender people are more likely to be victims rather than perpetrators of violence ^[3]
• Echoes political talking points that have been used to blame transgender communities for societal problems despite evidence to the contrary ^[1]
• Lacks acknowledgment of the actual violence and discrimination faced by transgender people, particularly Black trans women who face intersectional risks ^{[4] [5] [6]}

The question appears to be based on misinformation that has been politically motivated rather than grounded in factual analysis of crime statistics.