Rosie O’Donnell, a name familiar to millions for her sharp wit and outspoken political commentary, found herself at the center of a fierce public backlash this week after making false claims about the identity and motives of the Minneapolis Catholic school shooter. The controversy, which played out across social media and major news outlets, has reignited debates about misinformation, political polarization, and the responsibilities of public figures in the digital age.
The tragic events that set this all in motion unfolded on August 27, 2025, at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. According to Fox News and corroborated by multiple national media outlets, Robin Westman, a 23-year-old self-identified transgender woman, opened fire during a morning Mass attended by children and parishioners. The attack left two children—a 10-year-old girl and an 8-year-old boy—dead and injured 18 others, including 15 children. Westman, armed with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol, shattered stained glass windows and pew-side panels with gunfire before turning the weapon on herself. Authorities later confirmed all three firearms had been purchased legally, and there was no prior criminal history.
In the immediate aftermath, O’Donnell posted an emotional video to TikTok, linking the shooter to the Republican Party, MAGA movement, and white supremacist ideology. “What do you know? It was a white guy, Republican, MAGA person. What do you know? White supremacists,” she declared, as reported by New York Post and Fox News. The video, which quickly went viral, also included her reflections on past school tragedies and her frustration with America’s gun culture. “The NRA is a terrorist organization. And they have been for many years,” O’Donnell said. “When is enough enough, America? Haven’t you had enough of Donald Trump? The Heritage Foundation? All their bulls–t? He’s their puppet … but guess what? It’s coming to an end.”
But as the facts emerged, O’Donnell’s assertions unraveled. Law enforcement, fact-checkers, and national media found no links between Westman and the Republican Party, MAGA, or any white supremacist groups. Instead, investigators discovered that Westman had scribbled “Kill Donald Trump” and “Where is your God?” on her gun magazines, alongside the names of previous mass shooters. The shooter’s handwritten manifesto and final video message revealed nihilistic despair and deep struggles with gender identity, according to reporting by the New York Post and Fox News. FBI Director Kash Patel publicly described the attack as an act of domestic terrorism “motivated by hate-filled ideology,” citing anti-Catholic, anti-religious, and violently antisemitic messages in Westman’s writings. Among the hateful phrases were “Israel must fall,” “Free Palestine,” and Holocaust-related slurs.
O’Donnell’s initial video was deleted, but not before it fueled outrage—particularly among Trump supporters and those who saw her comments as emblematic of broader political divisions. Facing mounting criticism and fact-checks, O’Donnell returned to social media on September 1, 2025, to issue a public apology. “I know a lot of you were very upset about the video I made before I went away for a few days,” she said in a new TikTok post. “You are right and I did not do my due diligence before I made that emotional statement.” She continued, “I said things about the shooter that were incorrect. I assumed, like most shooters, they followed a standard MO and had standard feelings of, you know, NRA-loving kind of gun people. The truth is, I messed up and when you mess up, you fess up. I’m sorry, this is my apology video and I hope it’s enough.”
Reactions to O’Donnell’s apology were swift and, for the most part, unforgiving. Some accused her of insincerity, with comments like, “She’s not sorry, she still means exactly what she said,” and “the most unapologetic apology ever” circulating widely online. Others saw the episode as a symptom of a deeper problem in American discourse. “It’s good that you apologized, but this is what is keeping this country so divided,” one user wrote, urging everyone to “fact check every single political thing that they see because the majority of it is a lie.”
O’Donnell, who has been one of President Donald Trump’s most prominent critics, has lived in Howth, Ireland, with her 12-year-old non-binary, autistic child since January 2025. She originally moved there after Trump’s re-election over Kamala Harris and is currently in the process of obtaining Irish citizenship. Her feud with Trump—spanning years and marked by public barbs—has shaped much of her recent commentary and, some argue, may have influenced her initial assumptions about the Minneapolis shooting.
Meanwhile, the investigation into the attack continues. Authorities have confirmed that Westman’s motive remains under review, but the available evidence points to a deranged fascination with mass shootings and a hatred for organized religion and political figures, rather than any connection to right-wing extremism. The shooter’s final communications included messages of despair over gender identity and chilling statements such as “f–k those kids” and “plotting for so long,” as reported by the New York Post.
The shooting itself has left a deep scar on the Minneapolis community. Vigils and memorials sprung up outside the Annunciation Church, with parents, students, and neighbors gathering to mourn the young victims and support the injured. “A memorial honoring shooting victims sits outside the Annunciation Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Aug. 28, 2025,” Fox News noted, capturing the grief that has gripped the city in the wake of such senseless violence.
For many, the episode has become a cautionary tale about the dangers of rushing to judgment and the pitfalls of social media outrage. It’s a reminder, as one online commenter put it, that “so much mistruths [are] being spread by both sides,” and that public figures—no matter how passionate—bear a special responsibility to get the facts right before speaking out.
As Minneapolis mourns and the country debates, Rosie O’Donnell’s misstep stands as a stark example of how quickly misinformation can spread—and how difficult it can be to put the genie back in the bottle once it’s out.
