In a tragic incident at a Minnesota ice rink on Monday, a 37-year-old transgender individual, identified as Melissa Coates (who went by the name Max online), allegedly opened fire during a youth hockey game, killing her parents and injuring her brother before taking her own life. Armed with two legally purchased handguns—a 9mm Smith & Wesson and a .380-caliber Ruger—the shooter bypassed no red flags under current laws, as Minnesota’s permitting process deemed her eligible. This story, buried under layers of identity politics in mainstream coverage, underscores a harsh reality: criminals gonna criminal, and legal gun ownership doesn’t predict violence.

For the 2A community, this is a textbook case of narrative whiplash. Anti-gun activists love to scream gun violence epidemic whenever a firearm is involved, yet here we have a shooter who followed every rule—universal background checks, waiting periods, the works—and still went on a family massacre. No assault weapon bans or red flag laws could’ve stopped this; Coates wasn’t on any watchlists, despite her online rants about personal grievances. It’s a reminder that evil doesn’t discriminate by ideology or identity; it exploits whatever tools are at hand. Pushing for more restrictions only disarms the law-abiding, like the rink’s coaches who heroically shielded kids with their bodies, unarmed and vulnerable.

The implications ripple outward: expect the left to pivot to trans mental health or hockey culture toxicity to dodge the gun angle, while ignoring how legal carry might’ve allowed a concealed carrier to neutralize the threat faster. This isn’t about demonizing a group—it’s about defending the right of good people to defend themselves. 2A isn’t a privilege for the perfect; it’s a bulwark against the unpredictable. Stay vigilant, train hard, and keep fighting the good fight—because stories like this prove the Second Amendment saves more lives than it supposedly takes.