What Did Rupert Lowe Say About Dunblane on Joe Rogan?

Rupert Lowe appeared on episode #2524 of the Joe Rogan Experience, published on 8 July 2026. Within hours of the episode going live, one exchange — concerning the 1996 Dunblane massacre — had drawn sharp condemnation from politicians across the Scottish political spectrum.

Here is exactly what was said, the historical record of what happened at Dunblane, and the political responses that followed.

The Context: Handgun Ban and His Father's Pistols

Lowe made his comments while discussing the UK's handgun legislation. Following the Dunblane massacre, the Conservative government passed the Firearms (Amendment) Act 1997, and the incoming Labour government extended it with the Firearms (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1997, together banning the private ownership of most handguns in Great Britain.

Lowe told Rogan that his father had legally held pistols that were confiscated by the state under the post-Dunblane ban. He was making the argument that law-abiding gun owners had been penalised as a direct consequence of the legislative response to the tragedy.

It was in that argument that Lowe made the remark about Dunblane.

The Exact Exchange

During the discussion of the handgun ban, Lowe stated: "there was a murder up in Dunblane."

Rogan responded: "One murder?"

Lowe replied: "One murder."

What Actually Happened at Dunblane

The Dunblane school massacre took place on 13 March 1996 in Dunblane, Scotland.

Thomas Hamilton, then 43 years old, entered Dunblane Primary School and opened fire in the gymnasium. Hamilton killed 16 children, all aged five or six years old, and their teacher, Gwen Mayor. Hamilton then shot himself. A further 15 children and three adults were wounded. It remains the deadliest mass shooting in British history.

The victims were:

• Sixteen children, all aged five or six, who had been in their school gymnasium class
• Their teacher, Gwen Mayor

In total, Hamilton killed 17 people before taking his own life. The survivors included children who had been wounded in the attack.

The massacre prompted the largest public petition in British history at that time — the Snowdrop Petition — calling for a total ban on handguns, which gathered around 750,000 signatures. That campaign, led in large part by the bereaved parents of Dunblane, was a direct driver of the subsequent legislation.

Political Reactions to Lowe's Comments

Lowe's characterisation of the Dunblane massacre drew immediate responses from Scottish politicians.

SNP MSP Keith Brown, who is from the Dunblane area, stated that Lowe was "a stain on our politics."

Conservative MSP Stephen Kerr called the comments "deeply insulting."

Neither politician disputed the established historical death toll of 17 people — 16 children and their teacher — in describing their reactions to Lowe's characterisation.

Lowe's Broader Argument

Lowe's point, taken in full context, was about the legislative consequence for his father as a lawful firearm holder: that the actions of one individual resulted in the state confiscating lawfully owned weapons from people with no criminal history or violent intent. He was specifically referencing the experience of his father having his pistols removed.

The broader argument Lowe appeared to be making was that the handgun ban — and by extension, similar collective legislative responses — punishes the law-abiding majority for the actions of a single individual.

Lowe's own experience with firearms also came up elsewhere in the episode. He told Rogan that four armed police officers had arrived at his home and seized his legally held guns following an accusation from MP Zia Yusuf, who Lowe said had claimed he had been threatened. Lowe stated that it took five to six months for him to recover his weapons.

What This Episode Covered

The Dunblane exchange was one of several politically charged moments in episode #2524. The full conversation with Rogan also covered:

• A crowdfunded report into child sexual exploitation gangs, which Lowe said identified a minimum of 250,000 victims
• Lowe's claims about immigration numbers and border enforcement costs
• His description of the BBC as "a deeply malign organisation"
• The case of Lucy Connolly, sentenced to 32 months for a social media post about the Southport stabbings
• His founded political movement, Restore Britain, and what he described as a critical 2029 deadline for Britain
• His position as an unvaccinated person and his views on mRNA vaccines and ivermectin

A full breakdown of the episode is available here: Rupert Lowe on Joe Rogan: Full Breakdown of JRE #2524.

This article is an independent factual record of what was said in JRE episode #2524. Rupertlowe.co is not affiliated with Rupert Lowe or any political party.