Earlier today, a gunman shot through the church windows at a children’s mass in Minneapolis, killing two children and injuring seventeen people, including children. This was yet another tragedy impacting our students. Let’s review the situation.
What Happened in Minneapolis?
While the details are still under investigation, here is what we know:
- School children at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis attended Mass in the church.
- During Mass, a gunman approached the side of the church and began shooting through the windows at children sitting in the pews.
- The shooter was armed with a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol.
- Children and worshippers were victims in the attack, resulting in two deaths – an eight-year-old and a 10-year-old.
- Seventeen other people were injured, including children. Their conditions are unknown at this time.
- The shooter then apparently turned the gun on himself.
- There have been at least 89 school shooting incidents in 2025 up to this point. There were 323 school shootings in 2024 – the second-highest year on record after 2023.
The authorities will do their due diligence to try to understand why this shooting happened.
Was This Avoidable?
While it is too early to tell definitively if this event was avoidable, it continues the pattern we have seen since the Columbine shooting in 1999. The human toll since Columbine is currently at 493 people dead, and over 1200 people injured. Many were children. The Police and FBI will do their work and tell us why this shooter decided to kill children at this event, as they have on most others. The problem is that nothing else has happened once the prayers are over and the motive is determined. The playbook for these events is usually:
- Some politicians will begin to call for gun control
- Some politicians will argue that the Second Amendment is a right
- Doctors will talk about the mental health situation in the United States today.
These are all good conversations, but the time spent talking has long ended. Too often, our children are dying because of all the talk with little to no action.
We Must Speak Out!
Our responsibility as Catholics is to stand up for those who cannot stand up for themselves.
Proverbs 31:8-9 says – “Open your mouth in behalf of the mute, and for the rights of the destitute; Open your mouth, judge justly, defend the needy and the poor!”
Matthew 25 lays out our charge for how we treat others. Matthew 25:35-40 says:
“Open your mouth in behalf of the mute, and for the rights of the destitute; Open your mouth, judge justly, defend the needy and the poor! For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me.’ Then the righteous* will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?’ And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.‘“
Time is Of The Essence!
All three arguments (gun control, Second Amendment, and Mental Health problems) have validity in this case. The problem is that while we talk, or argue as it may be, our children keep dying. These problems will not be solved quickly, and we need action now. I feel we must take immediate action to protect our kids:
- The Federal and State governments must work together to deploy the National Guard and/or the Military to guard our schools immediately. If there is a preference for private security, money must be freed up to fund this option, as I cannot think of a higher priority issue than protecting our children.
- While this may not be a permanent solution, it protects the kids and buys time to figure out how to resolve this growing issue.
- The Federal and State governments must urgently work together to craft a plan to address the root causes of these murderous rampages.
- These solutions must be shared with the American people to build a security model that is widely accepted and has the appropriate funding for long-term sustainability.
I urge as many people as possible to contact their elected officials and clearly tell them this is their highest priority. To help find your elected officials and their contact information, please visit USA.gov.
Please share your thoughts on this article in the “Comments” section.
Peace
If you like this article, you might enjoy:
Religious Freedom: Perspectives from New York
Gerrymandering: Deepening the Divide in the U.S.
Discipline: Entering Through The Narrow Gate
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