In the aftermath of the STEM School Highlands Ranch shooting, much of the right-wing media tried to spin the story in ways that were either misleading or outright false. Let me address some of those claims.

Claim: The shooting was stopped by an armed student

This is false. The shooting was stopped by unarmed students who tackled one of the shooters. Kendrick Castillo, who lost his life in the process, was one of those heroes. No armed student stopped the shooting.

Claim: The media ignored the shooting because it didn’t fit the narrative

Also false. The shooting received significant national media coverage. The idea that it was ignored is simply not true.

Claim: One of the shooters was a transgender Democrat

This is a gross oversimplification used to score political points. One of the shooters did identify as transgender, but their political affiliation and gender identity are irrelevant to the shooting. Using a tragedy to attack a political party or a marginalized group is cynical and harmful.

Claim: The survivors who walked out on Mike Pence were disrespectful

These were trauma survivors expressing their grief and frustration. Calling them disrespectful rather than listening to their pain says more about the critics than the students.

The STEM School shooting was a tragedy. It deserves honest reporting and genuine policy discussion, not political spin.

(Sources)
Denver Post
Vox