NPR host issues gender 'clarification' after Klobuchar refers to Minnesota shooter as 'he'

An NPR host issued a clarification Wednesday after Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., referred to the Annunciation Catholic School shooter in Minneapolis as a "he" during an interview with the outlet.

In an interview with NPR host Ailsa Chang, conducted hours after the killings, Klobuchar used male pronouns to refer to the deceased shooter.

After the interview ended, Chang noted the gender of the shooter was "unclear."

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"And just a point of clarification, Sen. Klobuchar referenced the shooter as ‘he.’ Although police have identified a suspect, it's still unclear at this time what that person's gender is or how they identify," Chang told listeners.

Police have identified 23-year-old Robin Westman as the suspect who killed two children and injured 17 others during morning Mass.

Authorities said Westman carried three legally purchased guns and committed suicide after carrying out the attack.

While discussing possible motives for the murders, Klobuchar stated, "There's, of course, the hate. You're going to find that this perpetrator, that this horrific offender ... that he … it was all-purpose hate, right? He hated a lot of different groups. It wasn't one ideology or another."

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Klobuchar also called the shooter a "madman" during the interview.

"And then this madman shoots through the windows. The children are hiding under pews," Klobuchar said.

Court records show Westman legally changed names from Robert to Robin in 2019. A court form, filled by a person believed to be the shooter’s mother, Mary Grace Westman, said, "Minor child [redacted] identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification."

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FBI Director Kash Patel also confirmed that Robin was born Robert Westman. 

"The FBI is investigating this shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics. There were 2 fatalities, an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old. In addition, 14 children and 3 adults were injured. The shooter has been identified as Robin Westman, a male born as Robert Westman," Patel wrote on X Wednesday.

In 2021, NPR published a guide to "gender identity terms," telling readers, "Proper use of gender identity terms, including pronouns, is a crucial way to signal courtesy and acceptance."

NPR and Klobuchar's office didn't immediately respond to requests for comment.