Rihanna Kelver Charged in Wyoming Self-Defense Gun Incident

Rihanna Kelver, a 28‑year‑old transgender woman living in Laramie, Wyoming, was arrested after she drew a teal .380 pistol during an altercation outside the Crowbar bar on September 13, 2025. Surveillance video shows Kelver being pushed to the ground by a man identified as Scott Durham; she then pulled the firearm from her satchel and pointed it at him. Police later released Kelver without charge, while Durham was allowed to leave, and Kelver was subsequently charged with aggravated assault and possession of a deadly weapon with unlawful intent, offenses that carry up to 15 years in prison.

The Laramie County Attorney stated that gender or sexual orientation did not influence the decision to prosecute. Kelver, who has been an outspoken trans‑rights activist, argues the incident was self‑defense and that Wyoming’s “stand‑your‑ground” law should protect her. The case has sparked a heated debate in the heavily gun‑friendly, Republican‑leaning state over whether the Second Amendment applies equally to transgender individuals. The controversy is further fueled by conflicting accounts of the verbal exchange that preceded the shove, with Kelver alleging slurs and Durham denying them, and by Kelver’s earlier claim to police that she had drawn a knife rather than a gun.