The shooting at Minneapolis Annunciation Church prompted reactions from politicians, religious leaders, and community leaders alike after two children were reported dead.
Thomas Wyatt, chairman of the Department of Emergency Medicine at Hennepin Healthcare, confirmed in a press conference on Wednesday that his hospital received 11 patients, including two adults and nine children between the ages of 6 and 14. Seven patients were in critical condition upon their arrival, but Wyatt reported no fatalities among them as of Wednesday afternoon.
“We see a lot of gunshot wounds here at Hennepin Healthcare. We are among the best in the nation every year at managing penetrating trauma,” Wyatt said. “We’ve had two mass casualty events happen in the last 24 hours. It does take a toll.”
Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said she knew one of the children in the church at the time of the shooting. Klobuchar’s former senior adviser Kate Nilan’s daughter, Cora, escaped the church with a harrowing tale that Klobuchar recounted on CNN’s Inside Politics with Dana Bash on Wednesday.
“And so this girl — seventh, eighth grade — literally watched her friends, some of her best friends, be shot. One in the neck, one in the stomach. When they finally got out, she was the one — this child — who had to tell one of her friend’s dads that the friend had been shot,” Klobuchar said.
President Donald Trump signed a proclamation on Wednesday honoring the victims and ordered that all flags be flown at half-staff until Aug. 31.
Vice President JD Vance confirmed in an X post that the White House is monitoring the situation and asked people to join him in praying for the families.
Attorney General Pam Bondi posted on X that federal agents are “on the scene.”
“My prayers are with everyone involved in this tragedy. Our team will provide updates as we receive them,” Bondi said.
FBI Director Kash Patel echoed Bondi’s post, writing on X, “FBI agents are on scene, and we ask everyone to keep potential victims, civilians or law enforcement in harm’s way in your prayers.”
Patel later announced on X that the bureau is investigating the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on X that her office is “monitoring” the situation and she is “in communication with our interagency counterparts.”
“I am praying for the victims of this heinous attack and their families,” Noem said.
House Speaker Mike Johnson wrote on X that he is “heartbroken over the tragic violence.”
“We send our gratitude to law enforcement and the first responders who are on the scene,” Johnson said. “Our prayers are with the children, families, civilians, law enforcement, and all those impacted by this evil attack.”
States react
Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth (R-MN) posted on X, asking people to join her in praying for the families affected and first responders. Sen. Mike Lee (R-UT) echoed Demuth’s statement.
However, Democratic Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey slammed calls for prayer during his press conference on Wednesday.
“Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now,” Frey said. “These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school. They were in a church.”
Klobuchar mirrored Frey’s sentiment during a televised interview.
“But right now in our state, we‘re just mourning for these families. We‘re mourning for those kids that were in there that may have survived but will never be the same,” Klobuchar said. “To just let it go there, and say ‘thoughts and prayers’ is no longer enough.”
Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) posted on X that the state is “heartbroken.”
“From the officers responding, to the clergy and teachers providing comfort, to the hospital staff saving lives, we will get through this together,” Walz said.
Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty, who works in the county where the church is located, wrote in a statement on X that victim services staff arrived on site and her office will provide updates as they become available.
“Our hearts break as we write this [statement],” Moriarty said. “Families seeking to reunify with loved ones who were at Annunciation should go to 55th and Lyndale … [we] are here to support for all those in the community who need it.”
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Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) told the media on Wednesday that political leaders are here to offer support during this “moment of grief, solidarity, and prayer.”
“It’s been incredible to hear from leaders of Congress, and even the White House reached out to see what our community needs, and that’s the kind of moment that we’re in,” Omar said.
Omar did not answer questions about what was said in her conversation with the White House.
She said the community needs to grieve first before a national conversation can be had about gun violence.
“But we know that once this investigation is done, once these families are made whole, then we can have the national conversation that is necessary to stop school shootings like this one taking place in our community and devastating families all over this country,” Omar said.
Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-PA) revealed on X his personal connection to the catholic school and wrote in a follow-up post that it’s “sickening beyond comprehension” that two children were murdered while praying in their pews.
“Today is the first day of the new school year at the elementary school where my wife teaches and daughter goes,” Boyle said in his initial post. “This is typically a time of excitement and hope. Today that hope turned to horror in Minneapolis. I feel sick as we await the full details.”
Sen. Tina Smith (D-MN) wrote, “My staff and I are monitoring the situation at Annunciation Catholic School. I’m grateful for the quick response of law enforcement as we continue to gather information. It’s the first week of school. These kids should not be fearing for their lives.”
Democratic Lt. Gov. Peggy Flanagan also thanked law enforcement.
Democratic leaders call for gun control
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) wrote on X that the shooting is “horrifying” and called for stricter gun laws.
“Praying for the children, families and first responders during this moment of terror and unimaginable grief,” Jeffries said. “Weapons of war have no place in our neighborhoods, streets or schools.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) also urged gun control in a post on X.
“Students and teachers should not be putting their lives on the line just by going back to school,” Schumer said. “We must do more to stop gun violence in America.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) wrote on X, “This is sick.”
“We cannot even make it through the first week of school without mass shootings,” Newsom said. “And the GOP will continue to do absolutely nothing while our kids are being gunned down.”
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Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) wrote that her heart is with Minnesota as the state grieves this “horrific tragedy.”
“Devastated to hear of the shooting in Minneapolis this morning,” Hochul said. “The start of the school year should be filled with hope and excitement, not marred by gun violence.”
Local leaders and others respond
Kevin Kenney, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, explained to ABC News’s local outlet KTSP that the attack happened during the opening school mass.
“Every Catholic school has an opening school mass. So it’s a horrible, horrific way for all the students to begin the school year, where safety procedures were put in place. You know, people come excited to go back to school, very excited about an academic year, feeling safe in south Minneapolis. And now look [at] what happened. It’s very unfortunate,” Kenney said.
“It’s just unbelievable that this could happen still today. Very sad for the community, for the family, and very sad for the families who’ve lost loved ones,” he added.
Alvin M. Winston Sr., special agent in charge of the FBI’s Minneapolis division, wrote in a statement on X that his office is “assisting” its local partners and will devote “every available resource to support” the investigation.
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) called the shooting in a statement on X an “act of unspeakable gun violence” that “stole two precious children.”
“We cannot allow children to live in fear of learning, worshiping or simply being kids. Gun violence is an epidemic in America, and we must do everything in our power to end it,” she said.
Jen Psaki, former White House press secretary under the Biden administration and current MSNBC anchor, posted on X, “Prayer is not freaking enough.”
“Prayers does not end school shootings. prayers do not make parents feel safe sending their kids to school. Prayer does not bring these kids back. Enough with the thoughts and prayers,” Psaki said.
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In a later post, Psaki criticized Trump’s deployment of the National Guard as a measure to lower crime.
“When kids are getting shot in their pews at a catholic school mass and your crime plan is to have national guard put mulch down around DC maybe rethink your strategy,” she said.