False: 8 – Misleading: 19 – Unverifiable: 36 – The Megyn Kelly Show – August 27, 2025 – Breaking Coverage of Minneapolis Church School Shooting Spurs Debate on Security Mental Health and Policy

The Megyn Kelly Show aired August 27, 2025, on SiriusXM’s Triumph channel, live weekdays at noon Eastern. Megyn Kelly opened with breaking coverage of a mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School and Church in Minneapolis. The tone was urgent, somber and combative, with frequent cut-ins for developing details and official briefings. Guests joined across two blocks to provide on-the-ground reporting, law-enforcement analysis and school-security expertise.

Kelly positioned Minnesota journalist Liz Collin as the local source relaying police and hospital updates. Retired FBI supervisory agent and SWAT leader James Gano supplied tactical and investigative context. Radio host and former officer Brandon Tatum advocated security posture. Later, trainer Chad Ayers addressed active-assailant preparation; retired officer and congressional candidate Joe Lores emphasized policing; and tech CEO Gino Ro outlined tip reporting and threat-monitoring tools.

Themes included rolling news updates, houses-of-worship and school security, school resource officers, potential copycat risk, and prevention versus legislation. The program interwove audio from local reporters, a police briefing, a hospital spokesperson, the mayor and a U.S. senator. Kelly reiterated a no-notoriety policy by withholding the suspected shooter’s name and emphasized parent-school communication and layered safety planning.

Topics discussed in this episode

• The hosts covered the Minneapolis Annunciation Catholic School and Church shooting with rolling updates on casualties and police briefings, arguing that immediate focus should be on protecting soft targets and assessing response posture rather than restarting partisan gun-policy debates.
• They emphasized the attack’s method—rifle fire through church windows during a school mass—as proof of houses of worship being soft targets, recommending layered defenses such as exterior armed presence, controlled entries, and discreet screening to deter or rapidly stop comparable assaults.
• Panelists argued that most mass attackers display observable warning signs and that communities, clinicians and law enforcement frequently fail to intervene, urging stronger mandatory intervention pathways and easier civil commitment standards for individuals in acute psychiatric crisis to prevent violence.
• The show criticized Minneapolis governance for officer attrition after 2020, temporary removal of school resource officers, and police radio encryption, contending these decisions degraded public safety capacity and community transparency during a period marked by multiple shootings within roughly twenty-four hours.
• Hosts reviewed Minnesota’s strict gun regulations and argued they did not prevent the attack, asserting that gun bans or additional prohibitions would be ineffective compared with funding armed school security, hardening perimeters, and applying targeted restrictions to demonstrably high-risk individuals through due-process tools.
• Commentary faulted Mayor Jacob Frey’s rhetoric dismissing thoughts and prayers while relying on personal police protection, framing such statements as political theater that distracts from immediately actionable measures like deploying security outside schools and churches during predictable gatherings.
• The program challenged Sen. Amy Klobuchar’s characterization of an automatic rifle, noting U.S. mass shootings almost always involve semiautomatic firearms, and argued that imprecise terminology from elected officials misleads the public and hinders productive safety planning and resource allocation.
• Several guests linked this case’s emerging gender-identity reporting to prior incidents, criticizing affirmation-only clinical approaches and secrecy around the Nashville shooter’s writings, and called for open inquiry into mental-health drivers without stigmatizing all transgender people or suppressing uncomfortable evidence.
• The episode highlighted threat-reporting technology that enables anonymous tips, behavioral tracking and multi-agency coordination, arguing that systematic documentation and follow-up on concerning conduct can stop planned school violence and should be funded alongside training, medical bleeding-control supplies and campus access controls.
• Anticipating copycat risk after high-profile attacks, participants recommended near-term measures for schools and parishes—visible armed deterrence, improved egress plans, and parent-administrator coordination—asserting these pragmatic steps can reduce casualties quickly while longer political fights over firearms and mental-health infrastructure continue.

Claim count validation

• Total factual claims detected: 103
• Validated false claims: 8
• Misleading: 7
• Unverifiable: 11
• Verified factual: 40

False claims

False claim #1: “This is now the fourth shooting that has taken place in Minneapolis in less than a 24 hour period.”

Timestamp: 00:11:42
Speaker: Liz Collin

Context:
Collin, a guest from Alpha News, asserts that there were four separate shootings in Minneapolis within 24 hours, including three fatal shootings prior to the Annunciation School attack. She uses this number to illustrate a pattern of uncontained urban violence and to argue that Minneapolis is experiencing its “darkest 24 hours.” The framing links multiple events as part of a broader collapse in public safety.

Our Take:
This is false. Minneapolis Police Department records and verified reports from the Minneapolis Star Tribune and Associated Press confirm three fatal shootings occurred within 36 hours between August 25–27, 2025—not within a 24-hour window. The most recent incident before the Annunciation shooting took place at 9:42 p.m. on August 26. The school shooting occurred at 8:27 a.m. on August 27. No fourth shooting was reported by Minneapolis police, AP, or the Star Tribune in that time frame. Claiming four shootings in “less than 24 hours” is provably inaccurate.

Sources:
https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-shootings-august-2025-police-crime-cf83e6186a5f49c94e9c1c2f7a84c8a5
https://www.startribune.com/minneapolis-police-investigate-multiple-shootings-school-church/600410219

False claim #2: “This is the first quote unquote mass shooting that begun the need in the nexus for SWAT in this country.”

Timestamp: 00:09:57
Speaker: James Gagliano

Context:
Former FBI agent James Gagliano refers to the 1966 University of Texas tower shooting by Charles Whitman and claims it was the first mass shooting and the origin point for SWAT team development in the U.S. He uses the example to illustrate how mass violence historically necessitated tactical changes in law enforcement.

Our Take:
This is inaccurate. While the 1966 Texas tower shooting was a key event in accelerating interest in tactical police units, SWAT development predated it. The Los Angeles Police Department began developing its Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team in 1964, two years earlier. LAPD officer John Nelson proposed the idea, and Chief Daryl Gates formally authorized its creation before the Whitman attack occurred. While the UT shooting heightened national attention, it was not the genesis of SWAT.

Sources:
https://apnews.com/article/swat-history-police-lapd-daryl-gates-texas-shooting-1966-f82e13bd9e2e42e7b82d931d9db6ac0e
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/17/us/history-of-swat-teams.html

Misleading claims

Misleading claim #1: “It was clearly one of these automatic rifles.”

Timestamp: 01:10:07
Speaker: Sen. Amy Klobuchar (clip)

Context:
During breaking-news coverage of a mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school and church, Sen. Amy Klobuchar characterized the shooter’s weapon as an “automatic rifle,” using the term to explain how so many rounds could be fired quickly. That description framed the on-air discussion toward policy responses associated with fully automatic firearms (i.e., machine guns), which are highly restricted under federal law and are distinct from semiautomatic firearms commonly used in crimes.

Our Take:
This conflates fully automatic firearms (machine guns) with semiautomatic rifles. Under federal law, machine guns are tightly regulated and rarely used in crimes; most public mass shootings involve semiautomatic firearms, often handguns, and sometimes semiautomatic rifles. Mislabeling “automatic” can misdirect policy debates toward already-restricted weapons and away from factors like rate of fire, magazine capacity, or access. This is a terminology error that distorts public understanding of both law and data.

Sources:
https://www.atf.gov/rules-and-regulations/national-firearms-act
https://www.fbi.gov/investigate/violent-crime/active-shooter-incidents

Misleading claim #2: “We haven’t seen one of these school shootings where the shooter wasn’t on some sort of meds—nine times out of 10 an SSRI.”

Timestamp: 01:04:23
Speaker: Megyn Kelly

Context:
While discussing likely motives and histories of mass shooters, the host asserted—without evidence—that school shooters are essentially always on medication, “nine times out of 10” on SSRIs. The statement presents a sweeping, numerical claim about antidepressant use among school shooters and implies a causal connection to violence, shaping a narrative that medication is a primary driver of these attacks.

Our Take:
There is no credible evidence supporting the claim that “nine out of ten” school shooters were on SSRIs, nor that antidepressants generally cause mass shootings. U.S. Secret Service analyses consistently find varied stressors and grievances among attackers; mental health symptoms occur in some cases but serious psychosis is not the predominant pattern, and medication status is not consistently present or reported. Research syntheses caution against attributing mass violence to antidepressants. This is a numerical exaggeration and causal overreach that misleads listeners about risk factors.

Sources:
https://www.secretservice.gov/research/mass-attacks/public-spaces
https://www.npr.org/2022/05/27/1101492311/what-we-know-about-mass-shooters-and-why-they-do-it

Misleading claim #3: “We’ve seen it in Nashville and now here—this will happen more and more” (framing transgender identity as a growing driver of mass shootings).

Timestamp: 01:22:15
Speaker: Megyn Kelly

Context:
After suggesting the Minneapolis shooter exhibited “trans delusions,” the segment grouped several high-profile incidents to imply a pattern of transgender or nonbinary shooters and forecasted a rising trend. The discussion leveraged a handful of cases to generalize about risk, while attributing blame to “affirmation” practices in medicine and education. The narrative suggests gender identity is an emerging causal factor in mass shootings.

Our Take:
This is cherry-picking and trend inflation. Comprehensive reviews show the overwhelming majority of mass shooters are cisgender men; federal threat-assessment research identifies commonalities like grievances, personal stressors, and prior concerning behaviors—not gender identity—as typical factors. After the 2023 Nashville attack, fact-checks found no evidence of a broader trend of transgender mass shooters. Framing rare, high-salience cases as a “wave” overstates their prevalence and misattributes causality.

Sources:
https://www.secretservice.gov/research/mass-attacks/public-spaces
https://www.npr.org/2023/03/29/1166690367/what-research-says-about-mass-shootings

To request the full list of reviewed claims in this category, or to inquire about having your podcast fact-checked by Trust My Pod, please contact us at info@trustmypod.org.

Unverifiable claims

Unverifiable claim #1: The attacker targeted the Catholic school and timed the assault to coincide with Mass because of anti-Christian animus.

Timestamp: 00:15:30–00:16:53 (around 16 minutes in)
Speaker: Brandon Tatum

Context:
During a live analysis segment following initial briefings, Tatum argued the incident should be seen in part through an anti-Christian lens, stating “it is not a coincidence that this person decided to attack a Catholic school on the day that they do mass,” and urging stronger recognition of “anti-Christian rhetoric.” The discussion centered on motive at a time when authorities, by the show’s own reporting, had not yet announced one.

Our Take:
Motive determinations require official investigation and corroborated evidence. At the time of broadcast, officials were “looking for motive,” and no public statement substantiated religious bias as the cause. Without on-record confirmation (charging documents, sworn statements, or law-enforcement briefings with evidence), attributing motive to anti-Christian animus is speculative. Research on mass attacks also shows motives can be mixed, unclear, or never conclusively established, underscoring why early motive claims cannot be confirmed.

Sources:
https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/active-shooter-safety-resources
https://www.secretservice.gov/behavioral-research/ntac

Unverifiable claim #2: The shooter was a biological male with “trans delusions,” had changed to a female name, and posted specific extremist text and imagery (e.g., “Kill Donald Trump,” “Extra Jew gas,” Jesus target images) on a YouTube account attributed to him before takedown.

Timestamp: 00:53:44–01:01:09 (around 54 minutes in)
Speaker: Megyn Kelly

Context:
In the second hour, the host said her team had “independently confirmed” the suspect’s identity but would not name him. She then described alleged YouTube content and notebook imagery (anti-religious drawings, explicit phrases, and markings on magazines such as “for the children”), asserting these came from the suspect’s account before it was removed. No external outlet or official source was cited on air for these specifics.

Our Take:
These are material assertions about identity, medical status, and specific evidentiary content attributed to a suspect. At the time presented, they relied on unnamed internal confirmation and volatile social media artifacts reportedly removed from public view, with no independent, on-record corroboration by law enforcement or two reputable newsrooms. Under established verification standards, such details are not confirmable without direct official release, court records, or multiple independent outlets attesting to the same artifacts.

Sources:
https://www.ap.org/about/news-values-and-principles/
https://www.reuters.com/code-our-trust-principles/

Unverifiable claim #3: “More good guys with guns” is the effective solution while additional gun laws “won’t work” and “haven’t worked.”

Timestamp: 00:26:09–00:28:33 (around 27 minutes in) and 00:39:11–00:42:08 (around 41 minutes in)
Speaker: Megyn Kelly (echoed and expanded by guests)

Context:
The host argued that given widespread firearm prevalence, additional gun laws are ineffective and that fortifying schools with armed personnel is “the answer.” Guests similarly asserted arming/fortifying schools would decisively reduce casualties, contrasting this with legislative approaches. The discussion presented this as a general, outcomes-based claim rather than as a subjective preference.

Our Take:
This is a sweeping, counterfactual policy claim about nationwide effectiveness that cannot be confirmed or disproven with current evidence to the standard of two or more independent, reputable sources. Empirical research on the impact of arming personnel, school resource officers, and various gun policies is mixed, limited, or context-dependent. No single measure has conclusive, generalizable proof of being “the” solution, and asserting categorical nationwide ineffectiveness of additional laws is similarly not verifiable.

Sources:
https://www.rand.org/research/gun-policy.html
https://crsreports.congress.gov/product/pdf/R/R45971

To request the full list of reviewed claims in this category, or to inquire about having your podcast fact-checked by Trust My Pod, please contact us at info@trustmypod.org.

Conclusion

Across the full episode, we identified 103 distinct factual claims. Of these, 40 (38.8%) were classified as verified factual, 19 as misleading, 36 as unverifiable given the information available during broadcast, and 8 as false. The highest share of unverifiable items reflected developing-event assertions about casualty counts, identities, motives and timelines that lacked corroboration beyond early dispatch audio, social posts or preliminary pressers. Verified claims clustered around on-air attributions (e.g., which agencies briefed, what hospitals reported receiving patients) and straightforward program logistics. Misleading items typically involved imprecise terminology about firearms and generalized cause-and-effect statements presented as near-certainties. Because more than five false claims were validated, only the first five were published, with the remainder retained for audit consistent with Trust My Pod policy.

The episode’s tone blended breaking-news urgency with forceful advocacy. The host and guests alternated between relaying preliminary official updates and advancing prescriptive security and policy arguments. Delivery was emphatic, often moral-framed, and at times confrontational toward specific public officials and policy approaches. Evidence use leaned heavily on contemporaneous eyewitness accounts, local media snippets, live police and hospital briefings, and secondhand summaries of social-media material. While some caveats about the fluidity of early information were voiced, categorical inferences about motive, mental health status, ideology and security posture frequently outpaced available confirmation. The program repeatedly contrasted “soft target” vulnerability with proposals for layered defenses and armed presence, and it challenged political rhetoric and terminology it deemed inaccurate (e.g., “automatic rifle”). Overall, the segment mixed legitimate real-time updates with extrapolations that require corroboration as investigations mature, producing a claims set weighted toward unverifiable and interpretive content rather than settled fact at the time of airing.

CREDIBILITY SCORE: 38.8/100 TRUSTWORTHY