U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Thursday that the National Institutes of Health will launch a series of studies examining whether selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors and other psychiatric medications, including drugs used in gender-transition care, contribute to suicidal or violent behavior. He told Fox News that several of the medicines carry black-box warnings for suicidal and homicidal ideation yet have not been rigorously evaluated because of patient-privacy constraints. The initiative follows the 27 Aug shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, where former student Robin Westman, 23, killed two children aged 10 and 8 and wounded 17 others during a school Mass before taking his own life. Authorities have not indicated whether the gunman was using any psychiatric medication, but Kennedy said the incident underscored the need to investigate “every possibility” behind rising mass-violence incidents. Kennedy did not specify a timeline, funding level or research design for the NIH work, but said findings would inform future prescribing guidelines and broader public-health policy. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 10 percent of U.S. adults currently use antidepressants, underscoring the potential impact of any link that may be identified.