The tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis last week has reignited a fierce national debate in the United States, bringing together questions of faith, politics, and gun control. As families grieve and a community reels, the country finds itself once again grappling with the meaning—and limits—of prayer in the aftermath of senseless violence.
On Wednesday, August 27, 2025, horror struck during a morning Mass at Annunciation Catholic School. According to Minneapolis police, a gunman identified as Robin Westman entered the church and opened fire, killing two children—8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski—as they sat in the pews. Fifteen other children, aged 6 to 15, and three parishioners in their 80s were also wounded before Westman died by a self-inflicted gunshot as law enforcement rushed to the scene. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara later stated there was “some degree of planning” involved in the attack, which is now being investigated by the FBI as both an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime against Catholics, as reported by The Independent.
In the immediate aftermath, the city and the nation turned to prayer, a response deeply rooted in both Catholic and Orthodox traditions. Prayers for the dead, as practiced in these faiths, ask that the souls of the departed be received into heaven. Yet, as the country mourned, the familiar invocation of "thoughts and prayers" quickly became a flashpoint for controversy.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, speaking at a news conference, captured the frustration of many: “Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying.” Frey, referencing the Jewish principle of Tikkun Olam—repairing the world—told CNN, “Prayers are good, but they are not enough. It’s only adequate if you can attach an action to the work. And in this case, we know what the solutions are. They’ve been the same solutions three years ago, five years ago, 15 years ago.”
The debate over the role of prayer in response to mass shootings is hardly new. After a 2015 shooting in California left 14 dead, the New York Daily News famously ran a front page with the headline, “GOD ISN’T FIXING THIS,” surrounded by tweets from politicians offering prayers. The sentiment echoed again in Minneapolis, with critics arguing that prayer, while meaningful, cannot substitute for legislative action on gun control.
Among the most prominent voices this time was Jen Psaki, former Biden administration spokeswoman and current MSNBC host. On social media, Psaki wrote, “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’s comments, as reported by MSNBC and the Washington Examiner, ignited a firestorm of responses from across the political spectrum.
Supporters of stricter gun laws, often Democrats, argue that Republican politicians invoke prayer to distract from legislative inaction. Fred Guttenberg, whose daughter was killed in the 2018 Parkland, Florida, school shooting, responded angrily to Vice President JD Vance’s social media defense of prayer: “I am not a left wing politician. I am the father of Jaime who was murdered in the Parkland shooting. YOU ARE MISERABLE AND WRONG. It is shocking to me how politicians like you mock and use the idea of ‘thoughts and prayers’ to cover for your prior and future inaction and the reality that I visit my forever 14 daughter at the cemetery.”
On the other side, many conservatives and religious leaders see prayer as a vital response to tragedy. Vice President JD Vance, a Catholic, posted on X, “We pray because our hearts are broken. We pray because we know God listens. We pray because we know that God works in mysterious ways, and can inspire us to further action.” He continued, “Why do you feel the need to attack other people for praying when kids were just killed praying?” Vance, who converted to Catholicism six years ago, has had a turbulent relationship with the church’s leadership, particularly over immigration policy, but remains a vocal defender of faith in public life.
Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard also weighed in, questioning why some react negatively to public displays of prayer: “So why is it that people like Jen Psaki and others have such a spontaneous, visceral negative reaction to those who are praying to God for refuge, strength, and for the well-being of the victims of this heinous attack? Because they do not believe in God or His love.”
The debate is not simply about faith, but about action—or the lack thereof. As historian John Fea told the Associated Press, “Everyone wanting stricter gun laws sees the idea of thoughts and prayers as not accomplishing anything. A significant number of those who offer thoughts and prayers at these moments also oppose gun control.” Fea noted that many who resist new gun legislation instead frame the issue as one of mental health or cultural decline, rather than access to firearms.
Religious leaders themselves are divided. Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich called for “common sense” gun policies and lamented the rejection of such ideas “in the name of a freedom not found in our constitution.” He also advocated for restoring funding to mental health services. Bishop Robert Barron, meanwhile, criticized Mayor Frey’s comments as “asinine,” but added, “Friends, prayer doesn’t magically protect us from suffering. At its core, prayer is raising the mind and heart to God, which is absolutely appropriate in times of deep pain.” Archbishop Bernard Hebda of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, whose flock includes Annunciation, struck a balance: “We need an end to gun violence. While we need to commit to working to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies, we also need to remind ourselves that we have a God of peace and of love, and that it is his love that we will need most as we strive to embrace those who are hurting so deeply.”
Pope Leo XIV, the first American-born pontiff, addressed the tragedy during his Sunday noon blessing at the Vatican. “Our prayers for the victims of the tragic shooting during a school Mass in the American state of Minnesota,” he said. “We include in our prayers the countless children killed and injured every day around the world. Let us plead to God to stop the pandemic of arms, large and small, which infects our world.” The Pope’s words, as reported by ABS-CBN and The Independent, echoed the sorrow and urgency felt by many across the globe.
As the investigation continues and families begin the long process of healing, the nation’s debate over God and guns shows no sign of abating. Whether prayer leads to action—or stands in for it—remains at the heart of America’s struggle to reckon with violence in its schools and sanctuaries.
