On Friday morning's The National Report on Newsmax, reporter Jason Mattera presented a piece highlighting evidence that the mass shooter in Minneapolis chose to target a school in part because it was a gun-free zone, citing the Crime Prevention Research Center's Dr. John Lott.

After recalling the reflexive demand for more gun control by both journalists and Democrats, Mattera informed viewers of the rarely reported fact that mass shooters sometimes openly admit in their manifestos that they chose to target a place where guns were banned because it would be easier to kill a large number of defenseless people. The reporter began:

Yes, progressives, right out of the gate -- Jacob Frey, Amy Klobuchar, members of the legacy media -- they were saying, "Skip the thoughts and prayers -- we need gun action now." But what if the way to stop these school massacres is to read the killer's own words. That means look at their manifestos and see why they chose the targets.

Then came a clip of Dr. Lott: "How much more explicit can they be than saying they want to go to a place where their victims aren't armed so they can go and kill more people?"

The report then got to the problem of the media hiding the truth from the public:

MATTERA: John Lott at the Crime Prevention Research Center says the why isn't mysterious. Attackers like the Minneapolis trans shooter pick easy marks where they can run up a body count before anyone can fire back.

LOTT: If the media even once in a while would quote these parts of their manifestos and diaries, the entire gun control debate that we have right now would be dramatically different. People would be focusing on getting rid of the gun-free zones.

Mattera soon related that the Minneapolis killer wrote about the Aurora gunman from 2012 choosing a gun-free zone for his target, and then admitted that he had chosen a school for the same reason:

For instance, according to Lott, the Minneapolis trans killer wrote in his manifesto that the Aurora movie theater shooter in 2012, quote, "may have chosen venues that were gun-free zones. I probably aim the same way," adding that he wants to make -- wanted to make sure his victims would be unarmed. "That's why I and others like schools so much."

The piece went on to show a clip of Dr. Lott recalling evidence that the thousands of schools that arm their staff never have any deadly shootings during school hours, which can be also be accessed on the Crime Prevention Research Center's website.

Data also show that the overwhelming majority of public mass shootings took place in gun-free zones generally.

The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read:

Newsmax's The National Report

August 29, 2025

9:03 a.m. Eastern

SHAUN KRAISMAN: Meantime, as you may have seen here, Democrats already calling for gun control, this in the wake of that deadly shooting. But the killer's own manifesto spells out the strategy: pick soft gun-free zones.

EMMA RECHENBERG: Our crime correspondent, Jason Mattera, has some more details on where we're at today. Jason, good morning.

JASON MATTERA: Good morning, Shaun and Emma. Yes, progressives, right out of the gate -- Jacob Frey, Amy Klobuchar, members of the legacy media -- they were saying, "Skip the thoughts and prayers -- we need gun action now." But what if the way to stop these school massacres is to read the killer's own words. That means look at their manifestos and see why they chose the targets.

Dr. JOHN LOTT, CRIME RESEARCH CENTER: How much more explicit can they be than saying they want to go to a place where their victims aren't armed so they can go and kill more people?

MATTERA: John Lott at the Crime Prevention Research Center says the why isn't mysterious. Attackers like the Minneapolis trans shooter pick easy marks where they can run up a body count before anyone can fire back.

LOTT: If the media even once in a while would quote these parts of their manifestos and diaries, the entire gun control debate that we have right now would be dramatically different. People would be focusing on getting rid of the gun-free zones.

MATTERA: For instance, according to Lott, the Minneapolis trans killer wrote in his manifesto that the Aurora movie theater shooter in 2012, quote, "may have chosen venues that were gun-free zones. I probably aim the same way," adding that he wants to make -- wanted to make sure his victims would be unarmed. "That's why I and others like schools so much."

LOTT: I don't know how much clearer these guys can make it. There are literally dozens of similar statements like that over the years, going all the way back to Columbine, and yet the media refuse to go and say why he picked that target based on the fact that he wanted to go to a place where his victims weren't able to defend themselves.

MATTERA: As the "do something" chorus swells, Lott says "something" never includes arming trained teachers and staff even though he argues it could be the best way to stop an active shooter.  

LOTT: We have over 10,000 schools in the United States that have armed teachers and staff, okay? Many of those have had them for decades. There has not been one attack at any of those schools that allow armed teachers and staff to be able to go and carry where anybody has been wounded or killed during school hours.

MATTERA: Now, Shaun and Emma, in order for that to happen in Minnesota, the law would need to change because it's currently a felony to possess or store a firearm on school grounds, and Lott argues that these predators know that, and they view it as an invitation to go and attack. So, rather than outlawing the good guy with a gun on campus, maybe you should have more of them...