CNN is catching heat after one of its senior correspondents made a glaringly false claim about firearms while reporting on Wednesday morning’s tragic Catholic Church shooting in Minneapolis.
The outrage comes as the nation reels from a deadly attack at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in South Minneapolis. Around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, a gunman opened fire during a school Mass marking the first week of the academic year. Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed while praying in the pews. Seventeen others were wounded, including 14 children—seven of whom remain in critical condition.
During a live segment discussing the tragedy, CNN Senior Justice Correspondent Evan Perez made an assertion about semi-automatic firearms that left viewers stunned.
These things can shoot dozens of bullets, you know, in just one trigger pull,” Perez said during the broadcast. Perez referenced the type of weapon recovered at the scene: “A semi-automatic rifle, and it went on for several minutes,” he explained.
He continued, “And so what happens in this case is sometimes they have enough time to reload. It’s one of the most horrific things for students to be sitting there. You saw this in Uvalde, you see this in Newtown repeatedly, where a shooter has enough time to reload.”
WATCH:
Eric Daugherty, a conservative commentator, posted on X: “BY DEFINITION, ‘semi-automatic’ means one trigger pull, ONE ROUND. And the entire magazine, on average, for an AR-15 is 30 rounds (NOT confirmed the specific model this suspect used—just an example). CNN needs to immediately retract and apologize for lying to their viewers.”
One user added: “Simply put, semi-automatic weapons are one-pull, one-round. Kind Regards”
Others questioned CNN’s credibility on firearms reporting. Another user wrote: “What is the point of even having him on? Disgraceful.”
“How can they seek to regulate something they so clearly know nothing about…” said one user.
Many accused CNN of using the tragedy to promote gun control, despite misstating basic facts about firearms. “CNN, WTF ARE YOU DOING?” the viral post read. “A tragedy happens and the reaction is to LIE in favor of gun control? SHAME.”
Some took their criticism further, suggesting CNN’s mistake was not accidental but part of a broader pattern of misinformation in the gun debate. Others highlighted that the network’s failure to accurately explain how firearms function undermines public trust during critical moments.
Meanwhile, Minneapolis remains in shock. Vigils are being planned for the young victims as families and parishioners grapple with unthinkable loss.
Authorities identified the suspect as 23-year-old Robin M. Westman, who fired through church windows with multiple weapons, including a rifle, shotgun, and pistol, before turning a gun on himself in a murder-suicide. Police described the scene as “absolutely incomprehensible.”
