Utah officials and the FBI confirmed during a press conference on Friday morning that the man suspected of assassinating conservative commentator Charlie Kirk was taken into custody on Thursday night.
Utah Republican Governor Spencer Cox said at a press conference that 22-year-old Tyler Robinson was arrested after allegedly confessing or implying to a family member that he had assassinated Kirk. Robinson also recently told a family member of his dislike of Kirk, the governor said. Cox added that a family member of Robinson’s told investigators that the suspected assassin had become more political in recent years, and that Robinson mentioned at a recent dinner that Kirk was scheduled to speak at Utah Valley University.
“They talked about why they didn’t like him and the viewpoints that he had,” the governor added. “The family member also stated Kirk was full of hate and spreading hate.”
Robinson was taken into custody at around 10:00 p.m. local time on Thursday, according to FBI Director Kash Patel. One of Robinson’s family members reached out to a family friend about the 22-year-old who allegedly confessed or implied that he had assassinated Kirk. The information “was then relayed” to authorities, according to Cox. Robinson lived with his family in Washington County in southwest Utah and was not a student at Utah Valley University.
Authorities said campus video showed the suspected assassin arriving at Utah Valley University in a gray Dodge Challenger before Kirk’s killing, and a family member later confirmed to investigators that Robinson owned the same type of car.
A roommate of Robinson also spoke with investigators and allowed them to review messages from the suspect that were sent via the online platform Discord. Messages sent from “Tyler” allegedly discussed retrieving a rifle from a “drop point” and “leaving the rifle in a bush,” Cox said. Authorities said they found a bolt-action rifle with a scope attached in a bush in a wooded area near where Kirk was assassinated. Another message from “Tyler” mentioned that he had changed outfits, the governor added.
Cox said that ammunition from the rifle that authorities believe the suspected assassin used to kill Kirk was engraved with multiple phrases, including “Notices Bulges OwO what&#8217;s this?” (a furry culture meme), “^&gt;VVV” (the calldown code for a 500kg bomb in the game Helldivers 2), “Oh bella ciao, bella ciao, bella ciao ciao ciao” (song of the Italian antifascist resistance), “If you read this you are gay LMAO,” and “Hey fascist! Catch!” It does not appear that the suspected assassin made any reference to transgender ideology, as was previously stated in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ammunition-from-charlie-kirk-assassination-was-engraved-with-transgender-and-anti-fascist-ideology">reports</a> citing internal government documents.
FBI Director Patel and Utah County Sheriff Mike Smith thanked the public for its help in catching the suspected assassin. Smith added that the success of law enforcement could not have been achieved without the public’s prayers, patience, and support.
“That is what we needed to get through this,” he said.
Patel added that the investigation remains ongoing, and Governor Cox said that charging documents will likely be filed next week. Utah is one of the few states that still has the death penalty. Both Cox and President Donald Trump have called for Kirk’s assassin to be executed after he is convicted.

Mugshot: Tyler Robinson

Authorities Arrest, Identify Suspected Charlie Kirk Assassin

assassination

Charlie Kirk

Police

Utah

State and federal authorities released a joint update on Wednesday night on the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk at Utah Valley University, saying that two people had been detained for questioning and later released.
In a <a href="https://mailchi.mp/utah/for-immediate-release-updates-on-charlie-kirk-shooting-at-uvu?e=98970b8875">press release</a> issued by the Utah Department of Public Safety and the <a href="https://x.com/FBISaltLakeCity/status/1965961274757468603">FBI</a>, authorities said that George Zinn and Zachariah Qureshi had been taken into custody as suspects and questioned, but law enforcement found &#8220;no current ties to the shooting with either of these individuals.&#8221; The statement added, &#8220;There is an ongoing investigation and manhunt for the shooter.&#8221;
&#8220;The shooting is believed to be a targeted attack. The shooter is believed to have fired from the roof of a building down to the location of the public event in the student courtyard. Any additional clarifications cannot be provided to protect the integrity of our investigation,&#8221; authorities said.
Zinn, a 71-year-old man, is known in the Salt Lake City area for disrupting political events and has a criminal history dating back to the 1980s, The Salt Lake Tribune <a href="https://www.sltrib.com/news/2025/09/10/george-zinn-what-we-know-about-man/">reported</a>. In 2013, Zinn was charged with threatening to place bombs at the finish line of the Salt Lake City marathon. Zinn agreed to a plea deal in that case and was sentenced to probation. However, after he failed to meet the conditions of his probation, he was ordered to spend a year in jail, with credit for time served, according to the Tribune. Zinn was arrested again in 2019 after a protest in downtown Salt Lake City turned violent.
Salt Lake County District Attorney Sim Gill told the Tribune on Wednesday that Zinn leaned libertarian and would “give me a hard time for being a Dem.” He added that at “almost every political event you can think of, there was always George somewhere in the background, listening.”
The FBI began <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/feds-to-immediately-investigate-shooting-of-charlie-kirk-at-utah-campus?author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=Feds+To+Take+Over+Investigation+Of+Charlie+Kirk+Shooting">investigating</a> shortly after Kirk was shot. The two subjects questioned by the FBI were released after FBI Director Kash Patel said earlier on Wednesday that the suspected assassin had been taken into custody. Patel later <a href="https://x.com/FBIDirectorKash/status/1965928054712316363">said</a>, &#8220;The subject in custody has been released after an interrogation by law enforcement. Our investigation continues and we will continue to release information in interest of transparency.&#8221;
According to officials, the Utah Valley University Police Department had six officers working the Kirk event, which was in addition to Kirk&#8217;s security detail. Around 3,000 people were in attendance to listen to Kirk when a gunman fired a single shot from the roof of a building near where Kirk was speaking at approximately 12:20 p.m. local time, according to authorities. Kirk was taken to Timpanogos Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead &#8220;hours later.&#8221;
The assassin is <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/charlie-kirk-shot/card/fatal-shot-may-have-come-from-building-200-yards-from-kirk-university-says-ARVsET7iomEWhWNTPkjF?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAg4rD9CJApLW0OvJR8CqO52_pp1WVJmhMszQOS5PI5Cu5doVsgyXfH_IwXWiFw%3D&amp;gaa_ts=68c2b931&amp;gaa_sig=VzRj4Iqq75TbVr0S2H49ff2ndHK68e8rU9zIINkAl7ZG4QlWteWUMcTvc8iGQOoUwVpoQlpgImVIZX7YNhcRhQ%3D%3D">believed</a> to have fired from the Losee Center building, which was at least 200 yards away from where Kirk was speaking in a courtyard on campus. Law enforcement has not released a description of the suspected assassin, other than saying the suspect was &#8220;dressed in all dark clothing.&#8221;
The FBI <a href="https://x.com/FBI/status/1965962302458417304">urged</a> the public to send in any information about the assassination to a <a href="https://tips.fbi.gov/digitalmedia/f4507712a3b2893">tip line</a>.

Charlie Kirk Assassination: Authorities Release Update On Questioned ‘Suspects’ As Manhunt Continues

Charlie Kirk Assassination: Authorities Release Update On Questioned 'Suspects' As Manhunt Continues

Crime

Politics

It’s difficult to believe that 24 years have passed since that fateful September morning in 2001 when a group of radical Islamic terrorists slammed planes into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a rural field in Pennsylvania, murdering 2,977 innocent people.
So much had changed in New York City in the years leading up to that day. The city had been rescued from the throes of an unprecedented period of violent crime and disorder, fueled by a crack epidemic that ran from the early 1980s into the early 1990s. But in the decade leading up to September 11, 2001, the Big Apple had blossomed into the safest big city in the world. Businesses were flourishing. Tourism was booming. There was an atmosphere of safety and law and order in the streets. New York City was once again the mecca of the western world. I saw it happen and it was a beautiful thing to watch.
Under the leadership of Republican Mayor Rudy Giuliani, and Police Commissioner Bill Bratton the NYPD was transformed from a rudderless, leaderless, reactionary force of report takers with no direction into an organized army of crime fighters who identified and attacked high-crime areas with a zero-tolerance policy, targeting hardcore crooks and putting them behind bars where they belong. I was a proud member of that army. It took a lot of blood sweat and tears to reduce crime to levels no one would have imagined just eight years earlier.
The city was like a shiny, old, classic car. It had a few dents and even a few ugly rust spots but the engine was humming and millions of citizens, tourists and businesses were riding around with the top down enjoying the sweet music and the cool breeze blowing through their hair. And then, on 9/11, when those planes smashed into our city, it felt like a cinderblock crashing through the windshield of that classic car.
I was at home that morning, getting ready for work when the first tower was struck at 8:46 AM. I was a Detective Lieutenant in the NYPD’s Intelligence Division. My first thought was that the plane striking the North Tower was an accident. Then, 17 minutes later, the second plane struck and there was no doubt we were under attack. I grabbed my suit jacket and raced toward the city.
I met up with a few members of my team on the side of the highway. We piled into one car and headed for Manhattan. There was no conversation. We drove in silence, listening to the frenzied traffic on our portable radios and the haunting, gut-wrenching transmissions of our fellow officers already on the scene pleading for help, some coughing and wheezing in the rubble, perhaps taking their last breaths. It was heartbreaking.
<div id="attachment_971053" style="width: 857px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-971053" class="size-large wp-image-971053" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1376061-847x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK CITY - SEPTEMBER 11: (FILE PHOTO) (PUERTO RICO OUT) This is a view from West Broadway Avenue of the downtown Manhattan area of the World Trade Center towers after they were hit by two planes during a terrorist attack September 11, 2001 in New York City. (Jose Jimenez/Primera Hora via Getty Images) ***PUERTO RICO OUT ****" width="847" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1376061-847x576.jpg 847w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1376061-300x204.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1376061-768x522.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1376061.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 847px) 100vw, 847px" />Jose Jimenez/Primera Hora via Getty Images</div>
As we approached the Queens Midtown tunnel, we saw the North Tower crumble and disappear from the skyline. It was another cinderblock crashing through the windshield of our classic car. I was seething.
We raced down the FDR drive headed south toward the Trade Center where we came upon a ghostly parade of terrified people covered in grey dust running north in the opposite direction we were headed. One of the guys in the car with me mumbled, “I think we’re going the wrong way.” I turned to him and snapped, “No. We’re going the right way.”
We eventually came to a stop just south of the Brooklyn Bridge because the FDR Drive had become an apocalyptic parking lot jammed with abandoned cars. We set out on foot crossing over from the FDR Drive to the side streets where we flagged down an empty ambulance and asked the driver to take us as close to the Trade Center as possible. We climbed into the back and slammed the door shut. As we moved through the narrow streets of downtown, the small rectangular window in the back of the ambulance only grew darker and then the ambulance stopped. This was as far as the driver could take us.
When we spilled out onto Broadway, it was like landing on another planet. Dust was flying everywhere. There was a 6-inch layer of ash, papers and personal belongings blanketing the streets. There was a ceiling of toxic smoke hovering over downtown like a London fog. The carnage was all around us. But the thing I remember most were the shoes. Maybe because I knew they were once connected to people. I wondered if they had run out of them and escaped or if their owners were crushed and burning in the rubble. As we wandered aimlessly in a pack, toward what was once the North and South towers, it was hard to fathom what we were seeing. In some places there were 10 story sections of buildings leaning up against other buildings. Fire trucks and cars were crushed beneath the smoldering rubble. We came upon a turbine from one of the planes near the corner of Murray and Church Streets. Further down the block was a piece of the landing gear.
As we wound through the streets, we could hear and feel the rumble of explosions beneath our feet. I imagined it was gas tanks of buried cars exploding beneath the fiery rubble until we encountered a pack of dust-covered firemen wandering around like we were. They warned us the explosions were manhole covers being blown up into the air by the pressure and heat of the fires raging below us and urged us to stay on the sidewalks to avoid being killed. So, we heeded their advice, breathing in the dust, trudging through the debris looking for survivors or people in need of help but only the dead beneath the rubble remained.
<div id="attachment_971055" style="width: 841px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-971055" class="size-large wp-image-971055" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1201348346-831x576.jpg" alt="NEW YORK, NEW YORK - SEPTEMBER 11: The streets of downtown New York are covered in debris after both World Trade Towers collapsed from a terrorist attack on September 11, 2001 in New York City. (Photo by Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images)" width="831" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1201348346-831x576.jpg 831w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1201348346-300x208.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1201348346-768x533.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/GettyImages-1201348346.jpg 1024w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 831px) 100vw, 831px" />Andrew Lichtenstein/Corbis via Getty Images</div>
As the afternoon wore on, and communications began to settle down, we got more organized. We eventually helped set up a makeshift morgue in the lobby of a building a few blocks north of the smoldering Trade Center. I don’t recall how many bodies came in. It wasn’t more than a few. But the one I remember most was Father Mychal Judge, the Chaplain of the New York City Fire Department. Five brave, somber, exhausted firemen carried his limp body into the lobby. They knelt down and prayed over him. It was a very moving. He had been struck by debris in the Lobby of the North Tower when the South Tower had collapsed.
By the afternoon, we were deployed up to Greenwich Street, several blocks north of Building 7 where we helped set up a perimeter to keep unauthorized people out of the area. We had a clear view of the 47-story building 7 and the fire raging halfway up inside. At 5:20 PM the building began to tremble. The windows popped across it like bubble wrap. The mighty building shook one last time and then fell straight down into itself sending a cloud of dust tumbling in our direction. The worst of the cloud dissipated before it could reach us. Watching that building fall was the final gut punch. I was so angry and so sad. It was hard to wrap my head around everything we had seen and heard that day. It still is 24 years later.
Every year, when this tragic anniversary rolls around, we hear the common mantra “Never Forget.” And it is true, we should never forget. But for the other 364 days of the year, many of them, especially those on the left, wake up every day trying to find new ways to divide us.
That’s why I prefer the phrase, “Always Remember.”
Always remember the sense of patriotism and unity we felt in the days, weeks, months and years that followed this tragedy.
Always remember how people from all different walks of life, strangers, came together and rallied around each other in ways I had never seen in my lifetime.
Always remember the caravans of civilians and first responders from all over the country who poured into the city with trucks, saws, and heavy equipment or just their hands and hearts begging to help with the rescue and recovery operations.
But most importantly, always remember the heroes, first responders and civilians alike, many of whom lost their lives, rushing into those buildings to save their fellow human beings, never for a second considering the race, religion, creed or sexual orientation of those they were trying to save.
Hate lost that day. 24 years later, however, it’s making a comeback. But if we just take the time to remember those things that united us, hate doesn’t have a chance.
* * *
John Dove is a retired NYPD Detective Lieutenant and the former co-executive producer of “CSI-NY” starring Gary Sinise.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Septmber 11, 2001

I Was An NYPD Detective On 9/11. This Is What I Saw.

Always Remember: A Former NYPD Officer Reflects On 9/11, 24 Years Later

9/11

Islamic Jihad

New York City

NYPD

Radical Islamic Terror

Washington, D.C., filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Thursday, arguing that the president’s National Guard deployment in the nation’s capital is an “illegal federal overreach.”
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, a Democrat, <a href="https://oag.dc.gov/release/attorney-general-schwalb-sues-end-illegal-national">argued</a> that the deployment “is not only unnecessary and unwanted, but it is also dangerous and harmful to the District and its residents.” The lawsuit claims that Trump’s move to send in National Guard troops to help address D.C.’s violent crime problem deprives “the District of the local autonomy granted under the Home Rule Act.”
“No American city should have the US military – particularly out-of-state military who are not accountable to the residents and untrained in local law enforcement – policing its streets,” Schwalb added. “It’s D.C. today but could be any other city tomorrow. We’ve filed this action to put an end to this illegal federal overreach.”
President Donald Trump said he deployed the National Guard to the nation’s capital on August 11 to “reestablish law, order and public safety.” Trump also ordered federal law enforcement officers to assist in making arrests. The White House fired back after the lawsuit was filed, telling <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/09/04/us/dc-trump-national-guard-suit.html">The New York Times</a> that D.C.’s move was “nothing more than another attempt — at the detriment of D.C. residents and visitors — to undermine the President’s highly successful operations to stop violent crime in D.C.”
The White House said last week that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/in-less-than-a-month-trumps-federal-d-c-force-makes-more-than-1k-arrests?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=11&amp;row=0&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;title=In+Less+Than+A+Month%2C+Trump%E2%80%99s+Federal+D.C.+Force+Makes+More+Than+1K+Arrests">more than 1,000 arrests</a> have been made, including apprehensions of many suspected illegal immigrants, in D.C. since Trump deployed the National Guard. An administration official told Daily Wire White House Correspondent Mary Margaret Olohan that authorities also seized more than 100 firearms and cleared nearly 50 homeless encampments.
On Wednesday, Trump <a href="https://www.newsnationnow.com/crime/trump-dc-crime-down-100-percent-heres-what-numbers-show/">declared</a> that D.C. “is a totally safe city” following his executive action. “You are not reporting any crime because there is none,” Trump said. “They said crime is down 87%, then I said ‘no it’s not. It’s down 100%.’”
According to <a href="https://mpdc.dc.gov/sites/default/files/dc/sites/mpdc/publication/attachments/9.1.2025%20Surge%20Report.pdf">data</a> released by the Metropolitan Police Department, violent crime has gone down 39% during Trump’s deployment of the National Guard and federal law enforcement agents compared to the same time last year. Homicides dropped 58% and burglaries decreased by 49%, according to the Metropolitan Police Department’s statistics. President Trump has questioned the D.C. police department’s crime data after allegations surfaced earlier this year that officials “cooked the books” to keep crime numbers down.
The lawsuit follows a ruling from a federal judge on Tuesday who said that Trump broke the law when he deployed the National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles during violent anti-ICE protests in June, The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/judge-rules-trump-illegally-deployed-us-military-to-los-angeles">reported</a>. The order from Judge Charles Breyer, the younger brother of former liberal Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, takes effect next week.
Breyer’s order blocks the Trump administration from using around 300 National Guard troops left in Los Angeles to engage “in arrests, apprehensions, searches, seizures, security patrols, traffic control, crowd control, riot control, evidence collection, interrogation, or acting as informants, unless and until Defendants satisfy the requirements of a valid constitutional or statutory exception.”
The lawsuit filed by D.C. against Trump makes similar arguments as the case brought against the president in California, claiming that the National Guard deployment to cities violates the Posse Comitatus Act by using the military for domestic law enforcement. While Trump’s move is challenged in D.C., he is also considering deploying the National Guard to tackle violent crime in other cities, such as New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, New Orleans, and Baltimore.

National Guard

D.C. Files Suit To End Trump’s National Guard Deployment

Courts

Donald Trump

Trump Administration

Violent Crime

Washington D.C.

A 38-year-old Alabama man who traveled to Southern California with a cache of weapons and ammunition, claiming to be the &#8220;Angel of Death,&#8221; was arrested after threatening a Catholic monastery, according to prosecutors.
Joshua Michael Richardson was charged on Wednesday with felony criminal threats and possession of six high-capacity gun magazines, brass knuckles, and a sword, the Los Angeles Times <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-09-04/heavily-armed-angel-of-death-from-alabama-charged-with-threatening-socal-church">reported</a>. Richardson sent a disturbing email to St. Michael’s Abbey in Silverado Canyon, California, on August 19, saying that he was &#8220;rider of the pale horse,&#8221; who personifies death in the book of Revelation, and threatening to &#8220;do the Lord&#8217;s reaping&#8221; at the monastery. He also claimed to be Michael the Archangel, the &#8220;Angel of Death,&#8221; from the Bible, according to prosecutors.
Silverado Canyon is a small, unincorporated community in eastern Orange County, nestled within the Santa Ana Mountains about 55 miles southeast of downtown L.A.
Along with the high-capacity magazines and sword, investigators also discovered knives, body armor, and a stun gun in Richardson&#8217;s truck. It does not appear that the Alabama man had a firearm in his possession when he was arrested.
The L.A. Times reported that Richardson allegedly attended a service at St. Michael’s Abbey on August 26 and then followed the priest into a private area. He told the priest that “he came to do the Lord’s work, to separate the weak from the weeds, and that he rode his white pale horse from Alabama,” prosecutors said.
Richardson reportedly added that he wanted to target St. Michael&#8217;s Abbey because it still celebrates Michaelmas, which recognizes St. Michael with a feast on September 29. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department received a report about the threats two days after Richardson attended the service at the monastery, and arrested him. He is being held without bail and is scheduled to be arraigned on Thursday.
Law enforcement urged the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity.
&#8220;While incidents like this can feel unsettling, they also highlight the power of community. If something seems off, say something. Trust your instincts and report suspicious activity, whether it is a strange message, unusual behavior, or something that does not sit right,&#8221; the sheriff&#8217;s department said.
“No one should have to worship in fear that a stranger would walk through the door with the intent to carry out their own day of judgment and determine who lives and who dies,” added Orange County District Attorney Todd Spitzer. “A threat on one house of worship is an attack on every place of worship, and we refuse to allow threats and terror to dissuade any person from practicing their faith without fear.”
Richardson was arrested shortly after a Catholic school in Minneapolis was attacked by a trans-identifying shooter. FBI Director Kash Patel <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kash-patel-says-minneapolis-school-shooting-was-an-act-of-domestic-terrorism">said</a> that the Minneapolis shooter, identified as 22-year-old Robin Westman, held anti-Catholic and antisemitic views. Westman killed two children and wounded more than a dozen others after opening fire at Annunciation Catholic School during Mass last Wednesday.

Catholic

‘Angel Of Death’: Man Arrested After Threatening Catholic Monastery, Traveling With Cache Of Weapons

California

Catholic Church

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Thursday that the FBI was assisting local law enforcement in reviewing the writings of the transgender-identifying male shooter who opened fire at Annunciation Catholic School during a school Mass held at the church building on Wednesday. 
O’Hara gave the update during an <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lg5XSySV-a0">interview</a> on NBC’s “Today” show, where he discussed the latest development in the investigation into the attack that left two children dead and 17 others injured. The gunman has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/what-we-know-about-the-trans-identifying-gunman-who-slaughtered-catholic-school-children?author=Mary+Margaret+Olohan&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=10&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=What+We+Know+About+The+Trans-Identifying+Gunman+Who+Slaughtered+Catholic+School+Children">been identified</a> as “Robin Westman,” a 23-year-old man who identified as a woman and previously went by Robert.
Police say that Westman killed himself after he shot through the windows of the Annunciation Church, where students were attending a morning Mass. O’Hara said that police were still investigating Westman and examining what he had left behind. 
“We recovered literally hundreds of pieces of evidence in total that we have to go through. There is some additional writings, I would say, that the FBI is helping us go through,” O’Hara said. 
“Everything that we have seen so far is really a classic pathway to an active shooter,” he added. “We have seen a whole lot of hate against a whole variety of people and what we have seen so far, but nothing specific to point to as the motive for targeting this church and this particular incident.”
FBI Director Kash Patel announced Wednesday that the FBI was investigating the shooting as domestic terrorism and a hate crime against Catholics.
In previously reported writings, Westman discussed assassinating President Donald Trump, fantasized about killing children, expressed hatred toward Jewish people, and ranted about his transgender identity.
“The focus remains trying to go through everything that we possibly can, following all of the evidence to its logical conclusion to try and determine what potential motive there actually is for this shooting,” O’Hara said, saying police would try to provide answers as quickly as possible. 
He said that police would likely apply for additional electronic warrants to search through the shooter’s devices.
O’Hara also said that they believed the gunman used to be a member of the church and attend the school there. It was previously reported that Westman’s mother worked at the school. 
All of those injured during the attack are expected to survive, though some are still in critical condition, O’Hara said. He also praised the church for having security guidelines that he said helped save lives. 
“Also thankfully, due to the procedures that the school had in place, that the church had in place, after the Mass had begun, the doors to the church were locked. So this coward had to fire from outside of the church, through the church windows and into the church. And we believe him not being able to get into the church likely saved countless lives,” O’Hara also said. 
During the Biden administration, the FBI also aided in the investigation into the March 2023 attack on The Covenant School in Nashville by a transgender-identifying female. During that investigation, the FBI suppressed writings that the attacker left behind, arguing that they would lead to conspiracy theories.

Shooting At Annunciation School Church In Minneapolis Leaves Multiple Children Dead And Many Injured

‘A Whole Lot Of Hate’: FBI Examining Writings Of Trans-Identifying Gunman In Catholic School Attack

kash patel

Mass Shooting

Minneapolis

Transgender

Two children were killed and at least 17 people were wounded when a shooter opened fire at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Wednesday morning.
The gunman, who was in his early 20s, is dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O&#8217;Hara. During a press conference after the shooting, O&#8217;Hara said that the two children who were killed were ages 8 and 10. The shooter fired through church windows during school Mass, striking children and worshipers. The students were attending Mass at the Catholic church next to the school when the shooter opened fire.
The shooter was identified as Robin Westman, according to <a href="https://x.com/peterjhasson/status/1960758053625627109">multiple</a> <a href="https://nypost.com/2025/08/27/us-news/minneapolis-catholic-school-gunman-idd-as-robin-westman-while-possible-manifesto-shows-psychotic-obsession-with-mass-shooters/">reports</a>. In 2020, Westman reportedly <a href="https://x.com/peterjhasson/status/1960758053625627109">changed</a> his name from Robert to Robin because he &#8220;identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification,&#8221; according to a Minnesota government document shared online by Washington Free Beacon Editor Peter J. Hasson. Since Westman was a minor at the time of the name change, his mother had to sign the application.
The shooter was carrying a rifle, shotgun, and pistol, and killed himself after firing &#8220;dozens of rounds&#8221; at innocent children, according to O&#8217;Hara. Police believe the shooter fired all three weapons. The shooter barricaded the students and staff in the church by placing a wooden plank against some of the side doors, in an attempt to prevent them from fleeing, O&#8217;Hara said.
The police chief added that 17 other people were wounded in the shooting, 14 of whom were children. One adult and six children are in critical condition, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/08/27/us/minneapolis-church-shooting/4bb55715-d5ea-591a-8eb6-cbd06d35e4b2?smid=url-share">according</a> to the Hennepin County Medical Center.
President Donald Trump said that he had been briefed on the shooting.
&#8220;The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115101274999111772">wrote</a> on Truth Social. &#8220;The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!&#8221;
The Richfield Police Department, which neighbors Minneapolis, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RichfieldPD/">said</a>, &#8220;Police are responding to an active shooter call. Officers are reporting 20 victims. A man dressed in all black and armed with a rifle was reported at the scene. EMS has requested a Mass Casualty Response and fire crews are bringing in additional resources.&#8221;
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been briefed on a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School and will continue to provide updates as we get more information,&#8221; Minnesota Governor Tim Walz posted on X. &#8220;I&#8217;m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific violence.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I’ve been briefed on a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School and will continue to provide updates as we get more information. The BCA and State Patrol are on scene.
I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovTimWalz/status/1960706436284985707?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Police said the shooting was first reported at 8:27 a.m. local time, and more than 65 units responded. The church and school are located on the 500 block of West 54th Street in Minneapolis. Annunciation Catholic School serves students from kindergarten through 8th grade. Wednesday marked the school&#8217;s third day of the new school year.
This is a developing story; refresh the page for updates.

Parents await news of their children’s status after shooting at Annunciation Church on Wednesday morning, Aug. 27, 2025 in Minneapolis

Shooter Targets Catholic School In Minneapolis, Multiple Children Killed

Christian

Minnesota

School Shooting

Nearly 50 organizations signed a letter sent to President Donald Trump on Monday, urging Trump to keep Marijuana labeled as a Schedule I drug after the administration sparked fierce debate when it announced it was considering downgrading weed&#8217;s classification.
The groups — which include faith-based, law enforcement, public policy, and health care organizations — argue that downgrading marijuana&#8217;s classification would &#8220;result in serious harm to public health and safety,&#8221; according to a copy of the letter obtained by The Daily Wire. Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-sparks-debate-with-comments-on-reclassifying-weed">raised eyebrows</a> earlier this month when he said during a White House press briefing that his administration would “make a determination over the next few weeks” on whether to reclassify marijuana.
During his comments on the drug, Trump acknowledged that marijuana can have negative effects on people, especially children. The organizations behind Monday&#8217;s letter to Trump hope that the president will continue to consider the health of American children when his administration reviews weed&#8217;s classification.
&#8220;You have an opportunity to make a stand for the safety of children across America by opposing the flawed proposal to reschedule marijuana,&#8221; the letter states.
&#8220;Arguments like &#8216;marijuana should not be in the same category as heroin&#8217; are politically salient and easy to understand, but they fundamentally misunderstand how drug scheduling works,&#8221; the letter continues. &#8220;Contrary to popular belief, drug scheduling is not a harm index. Rather, it balances the accepted medical use of a substance with its potential for abuse. Schedule I drugs have no accepted, safe medical use and a high potential for abuse. Marijuana fits squarely within this definition, a fact acknowledged in every scheduling review prior to 2023 (the Obama Administration recommended against rescheduling in 2016).&#8221;
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Discussions within the Trump administration have focused on classifying the drug as Schedule III, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/politics/policy/trump-marijuana-federal-drug-classification-01a73b8c?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=ASWzDAgpZ8UL7Mw6HKwBVKPjsmn_wP6A2h8SNZiG41aF9hPed4QVwq2_gG6R&amp;gaa_ts=6897fc20&amp;gaa_sig=Nm9TnTCPjVnNlMv_P1PaH_NVhN3Nn8RbA8H9lDEnLY0FBfl1b_Sd78D-SH_icaL7fTnMQ1iwaisKOLJA0cNS5g%3D%3D">reported</a>. Reclassifying marijuana as <a href="https://www.dea.gov/drug-information/drug-scheduling">Schedule III</a> would put the drug in the same category as drugs that have “a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence.”
The issue has divided Americans, including those who are among Trump&#8217;s base. The president told reporters on August 11 that marijuana is &#8220;a very complicated subject.&#8221;
&#8220;I’ve heard great things having to do with medical [marijuana], and I’ve [heard] bad things having to do with just about everything else,&#8221; he said.
Among the groups pushing Trump to keep marijuana drug classification the same are the National Narcotic Officers&#8217; Associations&#8217; Coalition and the Drug Enforcement Association of Federal Narcotics Agents (DEAFNA). Conservative groups such as CatholicVote and the Family Research Council also signed the letter.
The letter points out that findings from the Centers for Disease Control <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/cannabis/health-effects/cannabis-use-disorder.html">show</a> that 30% of cannabis users meet the clinical definition of having cannabis use disorder, and cannabis users have a 30% chance of getting addicted. Marijuana is also getting stronger.
&#8220;The amount of THC in cannabis has increased over the past few decades. Products with high concentrations of THC can have greater intoxicating effects and increase the risk of overconsumption,&#8221; the CDC stated. The government agency added that there is some evidence &#8220;that high THC concentration cannabis use by adolescents and young adults is associated with continued use and development of future mental health symptoms and disorders.&#8221;
Eric Brown, president of the National Narcotic Officers&#8217; Association Coalition said that narcotics officers witness the &#8220;far-reaching consequences&#8221; of marijuana abuse &#8220;every day.&#8221;
&#8220;Efforts to reschedule marijuana risk sending the wrong message — that the substance is safe — while ignoring the science and significant dangers associated with its use,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Rescheduling would only accelerate marijuana consumption, driving higher rates of substance abuse and increasing demands on already strained public safety resources and budgets. We strongly urge the Administration to reject any effort to reclassify marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III.&#8221;
The groups also argued that &#8220;Marijuana has not been approved for any medical use by the FDA, and it likely never will.&#8221; While it&#8217;s true that the FDA has not approved marijuana itself to be prescribed for any medical condition, the agency has <a href="https://www.fda.gov/news-events/public-health-focus/fda-and-cannabis-research-and-drug-approval-process#:~:text=To%20date%2C%20the%20FDA%20has,currently%20available%20on%20the%20market.">approved</a> purified forms of the drug, such as Epidiolex, which treats seizures.
&#8220;The agency also has approved Marinol and Syndros for therapeutic uses in the United States, including for nausea associated with cancer chemotherapy and for the treatment of anorexia associated with weight loss in AIDS patients,&#8221; the FDA stated.
Proponents of downgrading marijuana&#8217;s classification point out that moving it from Schedule I to Schedule III wouldn&#8217;t legalize the drug at the federal level, but would only reduce the scale of marijuana-related offenses. Some states have passed laws legalizing recreational and medical marijuana use, and legalization has become a hot topic in recent years, as pro-cannabis groups have pushed politicians, including Trump, to join their side on the issue.
The pro-weed coalition is moving the needle in their direction on public opinion — and not just on reclassifying weed, but also legalizing it at the federal level. A Pew Research <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2024/03/26/most-americans-favor-legalizing-marijuana-for-medical-recreational-use/">poll</a> conducted last year showed that a majority of Americans (57%) believe that both medical and recreational marijuana should be legal, and 32% said it should be legal for medical use only. Just 11% of respondents said marijuana should be illegal.
Trump addressed the issue at the White House earlier this month after he floated the idea of reclassifying marijuana during a fundraiser at his New Jersey golf club earlier this month, according to the WSJ. Among the guests at the golf club when Trump hinted at the move was Kim Rivers, the CEO of Trulieve, one of the largest marijuana companies in the United States.
Trump also sided with the pro-marijuana crowd last year in Florida, when he voted to legalize recreational use of the drug in his home state. The marijuana amendment push in Florida received 56%, falling just short of the 60% needed to pass it into law. Legalization efforts also failed in North Dakota and South Dakota last year.
A White House official told the WSJ earlier this month that Trump wants to take on issues like marijuana that are viewed as “80-20 cultural issues.” If the president were to take the side of weed proponents, it could also help him and Republicans among independent and young voters in the 2026 midterms.
But according to the group of organizations pushing Trump to say no to downgrading the drug, the risks of reclassifying marijuana far outweigh any potential electoral advantage such a move would give Republicans. The letter highlights how a reclassification of marijuana to Schedule III would end marijuana test requirements for people with numerous important jobs.
In 2024, the National Transportation Safety Board <a href="https://www.ntsb.gov/news/Documents/DEA-Schedules-of-Controlled-Substances-Rescheduling-of-Marijuana.pdf">said</a> that &#8220;HHS-certified laboratories used for such testing are not authorized to test for Schedule III controlled substances. This would mean that airline pilots, airline maintenance workers, bus and truck drivers, locomotive engineers, subway train operators, ship captains, pipeline operators, personnel transporting hazardous materials, and other safety-sensitive transportation employees would be prevented from being tested for marijuana use.&#8221;
Downgrading marijuana to Schedule III would also give dispensaries massive tax breaks, the group points out, arguing that &#8220;street dealers and dispensaries alike would be able to receive reductions for promoting or marketing the sale of addictive drugs.&#8221; In the letter, the group also states that international drug cartels and Chinese money launderers that <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/investigations/marijuana-mexican-cartels-stunning-rise-chinese-money-launderers-rcna158030">operate</a> marijuana farms in the United States could also benefit from a major tax break if weed is rescheduled.
According to the group urging Trump to keep marijuana a Schedule III drug, America&#8217;s drug problem would only get worse if the federal government takes a more lenient stance on weed. Travis Weber, the vice president for Policy and Government Affairs at the Family Research Council, said, “The deep pain and crisis of meaning that many in our nation are facing will not be made better by encouraging even more drug use, which is what rescheduling would do. Taking substances to temporarily “treat” our mind and body alone can never solve what is really a spiritual problem. Drugs won’t fill the void inside and heal our pain. Only Jesus can do that.”
Read the full letter below:
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-964653 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_1-445x576.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_1-445x576.jpg 445w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_1-232x300.jpg 232w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_1-768x994.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_1.jpg 791w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 445px) 100vw, 445px" /></div>
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<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-964659 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_4-445x576.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_4-445x576.jpg 445w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_4-232x300.jpg 232w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_4-768x994.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_4.jpg 791w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 445px) 100vw, 445px" /></div>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-964661 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_5-445x576.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_5-445x576.jpg 445w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_5-232x300.jpg 232w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_5-768x994.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_5.jpg 791w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 445px) 100vw, 445px" /></div>
<div class="image"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignnone wp-image-964663 size-large" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_6-445x576.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_6-445x576.jpg 445w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_6-232x300.jpg 232w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_6-768x994.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/08/1756121115680-f2c6c7ba-fd70-437b-97f3-e95c1e1fe8b9_6.jpg 791w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 445px) 100vw, 445px" /></div>

Marijuana, Donald Trump

Doobie Debate Blazes: Groups Urge Trump To Reject ‘Flawed’ Weed Reclassification Push

Drugs

Law Enforcement

Marijuana

President Donald Trump said in the Oval Office on Friday that Chicago is next on his list of places where he wants to use his power to root out violent crime.
Speaking to reporters and praising federal agents for the violent crime crackdown in Washington, D.C., Trump set his sights on Chicago, where gang violence and shootings have become the norm under Democratic leadership.
&#8220;Chicago is a mess, you have an incompetent mayor, grossly incompetent, and we will straighten that one out next. That will be our next one after this, and it won’t even be tough,&#8221; Trump <a href="https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/i-think-chicago-will-be-next-president-trump-signals-plans-to-extend-crackdown-on-crime-to-chicago/">said</a>.
Trump also hinted at moving federal resources to New York City after taking care of Chicago.
&#8220;And the people in Chicago &#8230; are screaming for us to come. They are wearing red hats, just like this one,&#8221; Trump said, referring to his &#8220;Trump Was Right About Everything&#8221; hat. “African American ladies, beautiful ladies, are saying, ‘Please, Mr. Trump, come to Chicago, please.’ I did great with the black vote, as you know, and they want something to happen. So, I think Chicago will be next and then we’ll help with New York.”
While Chicago has reported a decrease in homicides and other violent crimes in recent years, the Windy City is still <a href="https://news.wttw.com/2024/03/11/homicides-drop-nationwide-chicago-lags-behind-other-major-cities-why">lagging behind</a> some other major cities in tackling its murder problem. In 2023, Chicago reported 617 homicides, which was a decrease from the 715 murders in 2022, but still higher than America&#8217;s two largest cities, New York City and Los Angeles.
Earlier this month, 34 people were shot, five of whom were killed, in shootings across Chicago during one weekend, ABC 7 Chicago <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/post/chicago-shootings-weekend-least-10-shot-2-fatally-gun-violence-city-police-department-says/17483197/">reported</a>. The violence has continued this week, with three people killed and another person wounded in multiple shootings in the city on Thursday, according to <a href="https://www.fox32chicago.com/news/chicago-crime-garfield-park-shootings">Fox 32</a>.
Chicago&#8217;s elected Democratic politicians criticized Trump over his comments on sending troops to the city, with Mayor Brandon Johnson calling Trump&#8217;s approach &#8220;uncoordinated, uncalled for, and unsound,&#8221; according to <a href="https://wgntv.com/news/chicago-news/i-think-chicago-will-be-next-president-trump-signals-plans-to-extend-crackdown-on-crime-to-chicago/">WGN 9</a>.
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&#8220;Unlawfully deploying the National Guard to Chicago has the potential to inflame tensions between residents and law enforcement when we know that trust between police and residents is foundational to building safer communities,&#8221; Johnson added. &#8220;An unlawful deployment would be unsustainable and would threaten to undermine the historic progress we have. In the past year alone, we have reduced homicides by more than 30%, robberies by 35%, and shootings by almost 40%. We need to continue to invest in what is working.&#8221;
Federal and local law enforcement have <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/feds-nab-suspected-ms-13-gangster-top-700-arrests-dc-crackdown">arrested</a> over 700 suspected criminals on the capital&#8217;s streets since Trump sent in federal agents and the National Guard, with most of the arrests taking place in D.C.&#8217;s highest crime areas, according to the White House. D.C. police also reported a murder-free eight days stretching back to last Thursday, according to <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/dc-has-murder-free-week-ag-bondi-touts-77-more-arrests-federal-takeover">Fox News</a>.
In Washington, D.C., Trump has the authority to deploy National Guard troops and federal law enforcement officers through the &#8220;Home Rule Act.&#8221; Deploying the National Guard to another American city wouldn&#8217;t be as simple and would likely require Trump to sidestep Democratic Governor JB Pritzker, similar to what the president did when he sent troops to Los Angeles earlier this summer. That move was challenged in court and is currently before a federal judge.

Trump Says Chicago Is ‘Next’ For D.C.-Style Federal Law Enforcement Operation

Chicago

Washington, D.C. isn’t just any city, it’s our nation’s capital — where Americans go to conduct the business of our nation and to celebrate our history. More than that, it’s a place many call home.
Unfortunately, thanks to the work of local elected officials and their radical progressive <a href="https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/03/25/7-changes-congress-should-make-before-restoring-d-c-s-bloated-billion-dollars-in-funding/">policies</a>, the District of Columbia is now incredibly unsafe.
A quick <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vcS3wkDf4MU">listen</a> to reporters in the White House Press Briefing Room reacting to President Trump’s D.C. crime crackdown shows just how bad things have gotten. Many have personally been victimized in D.C., or at least have friends or family members who have.
And it’s no wonder. For years, local D.C. Council members have proudly proclaimed their plans to <a href="https://www.heritage.org/crime-and-justice/report/the-dc-city-council-failed-criminal-justice-reform-congress-must-fix-it">decriminalize</a> entire swaths of problematic conduct and to only allow relatively lenient sentences even for those convicted of very violent crimes.
On top of that, council members have touted their plans to <a href="https://www.heritage.org/crime-and-justice/commentary/dcs-radical-criminal-code-reform-would-make-city-even-less-safe">defund</a> the Metropolitan Police Department (MPDC) and to impose onerous restrictions on officers while performing their duties.
The result? MPDC is facing a historic staffing crisis, with some saying it will take a decade or more for the force to recover and be fully staffed.
But, fortunately, President Trump and his administration have stepped in to take action to protect our nation’s capital — something the Framers of our Constitution always <a href="https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4034744">intended</a>. Federal officials have the final say — and responsibility — for what happens in Washington, D.C.
As provided by the <a href="https://dccouncil.gov/dc-home-rule/">Home Rule Act</a>, the president has directly taken control of the local police force. He has deployed D.C.’s national guard to help patrol and make up for the police department’s manpower shortage, and he has surged federal law enforcement resources — FBI, DEA, ATF, etc. — to help patrol too.
The initial results have been staggering. D.C.’s police union <a href="https://x.com/DCPoliceUnion/status/1957435067258577173">highlighted</a> that in the first seven days of Trump’s law enforcement surge, carjackings dropped 83% compared to the same period a week earlier. Robberies dropped by 46%. Car thefts dropped by 21%. And violent crime overall dropped by 22%.
Even more shocking and welcome news is that for the first time in a long time, the District went an entire week <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/david-marcus-dc-just-had-murder-free-week-yes-dems-trump-did">without a murder</a> committed within its borders. That’s even more impressive considering that murder rates tend to spike during the hot and humid summer months.
While President Trump has <a href="https://www.fox5dc.com/news/trump-patrol-dc-military-law-enforcement-thursday-night-officials-say">joined</a> law enforcement to see firsthand what they experience while patrolling the streets and Vice President J.D. Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, and other senior administration officials <a href="https://www.fox5dc.com/news/vp-vance-visits-national-guard-union-station-amid-dc-protests">visit and listen</a> to deployed national guard troops around the capital, some local officials seek to frustrate these effective crime fighting tactics.
For example, D.C.’s Attorney General Brian Schwalb sued the president, claiming that the Home Rule Act — and the Constitution — don’t really mean what they say.
Schwalb <a href="https://x.com/DCAttorneyGen/status/1956339474633253098">claims</a> that the President can’t really control D.C.’s local police and that any actions must run through local officials — who generally oppose his efforts. There’s no discretion there for the mayor or the D.C. AG to second guess the president. It would be an odd situation for an inferior official to tell the president how to discharge his duties. And yet, that’s exactly what local D.C. officials are trying to do.
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But more to the point, it’s unfortunate that local D.C. officials and others on the Left are denying that there’s even a crime crisis in D.C. After all, denying a problem exists doesn’t make it go away.
Thankfully, President Trump and his administration are taking long-overdue and much-needed actions to transform our nation’s capital from a cautionary tale of the harmful results of progressive policies to a shining example of America’s greatness.
* * *
Zack Smith is a legal fellow in the Heritage Foundation’s Meese Center for Legal and Judicial Studies.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

President Trump Visits Law Enforcement And National Guard During D.C. Crime Crackdown

A Week Without Murder: Trump’s Crackdown Restores Safety To Washington, D.C.

carjacking

Murder

President Trump

President Donald Trump threatened early Friday morning to take “complete and total” control of Washington, D.C., if Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser and the Metropolitan Police Department don’t address “false and highly inaccurate crime figures.”
In a <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115070876988527695">post</a> on Truth Social, Trump praised the National Guard and local law enforcement for their significant presence on the capital’s streets as the administration seeks to address violent crime in D.C. Trump also said that D.C. has gone more than a week without a murder, a statistic that the Metropolitan Police Department <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/dc-murder-free-week-ag-153622367.html?guccounter=1&amp;guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&amp;guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAGPc7XoBfmhR2gfo8lvAgSCmAhMhDj1FoOaUvH2_YX4A5DWeMVx_KSYEn8heUxj4v8NSWShZWvbfqeQlL0Jye-byqH2tfu5WfUnn2DS5B7WjjGXY4A1NF4aBsMMv-B8nDTzJGYNm1nd8j63nNf2YSJ-ZFu8cvoyj91v4iys3EC80">confirmed</a> to Fox News on Thursday.
“Washington, D.C. is SAFE AGAIN! The crowds are coming back, the spirit is high, and our D.C. National Guard and Police are doing a fantastic job. They are out in force, and are NOT PLAYING GAMES!!!” the president wrote.
Trump then called out Mayor Bowser, arguing that more work needs to be done to fix the city’s reporting of crime statistics.
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“Mayor Muriel Bowser must immediately stop giving false and highly inaccurate crime figures, or bad things will happen, including a complete and total Federal takeover of the City!” he said. “Washington D.C. will soon be great again!!!”
The D.C. Police Union, which represents 3,000 officers with the Metropolitan Police Department, has said that there are issues with the accuracy of the crime data reported by the police department. Mayor Bowser has highlighted the police department’s statistics, which have shown a significant decrease in violent crime in the past two years, to push back against Trump’s National Guard deployment and attempted federal takeover of the D.C. police.
“I think that there’s a possibility that crime has come down,” said D.C. Police Union President Gregg Pemberton, according to <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/justice-department-investigating-whether-dc-police-manipulated-crime-d-rcna225886">NBC News</a>. Pemberton added, however, that it’s “preposterous” to believe that crime is down as much as police and city officials are claiming.
“What we know, what our members know, is that we go call to call to call out on the streets at night, going from robbery to carjacking to stabbing to shooting, and we just know that crime is ubiquitous, and it’s all in every quadrant of the city,” he said. “So to have people tell us, ‘well, crime is down, you shouldn’t be worried about that,’ that’s not the reality that we feel on the streets.”
Earlier this week, the Department of Justice launched an investigation into whether D.C. police officials have cooked the books on crime stats, The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2025/08/19/trump-police-dc-takeover-justice-department/">reported</a>. In May, a D.C. police commander was placed on leave over accusations that he altered crime data. The commander, Michael Pulliam, denied the allegations. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro is leading the DOJ investigation and will likely look into the actions of multiple police officials.
When Trump first announced his operation to “make D.C. safe again” last week, the Justice Department and Attorney General Pam Bondi took complete control of the Metropolitan Police Department and named Drug Enforcement Administration head Terry Cole as the emergency police commissioner.
A federal judge, however, blocked the DOJ from taking complete control of the police department. The DOJ worked out a deal last Friday to leave local officials in charge of the department while Cole was put in charge of directing Mayor Bowser to provide police services as the attorney general “deems necessary and appropriate,” according to <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/08/15/doj-dc-police-department-control-hearing-00512503">POLITICO</a>.
Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/president-on-patrol-trump-feeds-agents-troops-making-d-c-great-again?topStoryPosition=undefined&amp;author=Tim+Pearce&amp;category=News&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;row=1&amp;rowHeadline=Top+Stories&amp;rowType=Top+Stories&amp;title=President+On+Patrol%3A+Trump+Feeds+Agents%2C+Troops+Making+%E2%80%98D.C.+Great+Again%E2%80%99">joined</a> National Guard troops and federal agents on patrol Thursday evening, bringing them food and praising them for their work.
“You people are winners, and it’s such an honor to be with you,” Trump told the troops and law enforcement officers. “We’re going to make Washington, D.C., great again. We’re making the country great again.”

Trump Threatens D.C. Mayor: Fix Crime Stats Or Face ‘Total Federal Takeover’

Executive

Muriel Bowser

Police responded to an active shooter situation at Villanova University on Thursday afternoon, as new students were moving into their dorms at the private Catholic research university west of Philadelphia. Villanova President Rev. Peter M. Donohue said that the reported shooting was a &#8220;cruel hoax,&#8221; adding that no one was injured, NBC 10 Philadelphia <a href="https://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/villanova-students-warned-of-active-shooter-on-campus/4257685/">reported</a>.
At around 4:30 p.m. ET, while many students and parents were attending mass, an alert went out from Villanova instructing everyone to shelter in place and stay away from the Law School&#8217;s Scarpa Hall. A video posted on X showed a representative for Villanova telling a group of people who had taken shelter that the active shooter situation was &#8220;supposedly in the library at the law school.&#8221;
The campus was placed on lockdown over the incident just hours after Villanova Law <a href="https://x.com/Villanova_Law/status/1958620709808206026?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1958620709808206026%7Ctwgr%5Ec8b9ece089c78ab88cf83b134bb6b0ff50ce0254%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcphiladelphia.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2Fvillanova-students-warned-of-active-shooter-on-campus%2F4257685%2F">posted</a> that it hosted a &#8220;successful&#8221; orientation for students that was followed by a picnic. The school year is set to begin next week.
&#8220;Today, as we are celebrating Orientation Mass to welcome our newest Villanovans and their families to our community, panic and terror ensued with the news of a possible shooter at the Law School,&#8221; Donohue said. &#8220;Mercifully, no one was injured, and we now know that it was a cruel hoax—there was no active shooter, no injuries and no evidence of firearms present on campus. While that is a blessing and relief, I know today’s events have shaken our entire community.&#8221;
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨BREAKING: An active shooter alert has been reported at Villanova University
<a href="https://t.co/tzqwX9s1BK">pic.twitter.com/tzqwX9s1BK</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1958637655790325927?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2025</a>
&nbsp;</blockquote>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-media-max-width="560">
shooting at villanova university, we are hiding and locked down in a utility closet…. an HR rep just came to clarify the situation <a href="https://t.co/Ukw42WEHg3">pic.twitter.com/Ukw42WEHg3</a>
— Liam Zieg (@liamzieg) <a href="https://twitter.com/liamzieg/status/1958633579807904016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 21, 2025</a></blockquote>
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The active shooting hoax at Villanova came hours after police <a href="https://www.knoxnews.com/story/news/crime/2025/08/21/university-of-tennessee-chattanooga-lockdown-reports-of-shooter/85762026007/">lifted</a> an active shooter lockdown at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga after finding no evidence of a threat.
This is a developing story; refresh the page for updates.

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