On the morning of August 27, 2025, the community of Minneapolis was shattered when a gunman opened fire during a school Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church, killing two children and injuring 21 others—most of them kids. The attack, which unfolded as students from the nearby Annunciation Catholic School gathered for worship, left the city and the nation reeling, reigniting fierce debates about gun laws, mental health, and school safety.
Authorities quickly identified the victims as 10-year-old Harper Moyski and 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel. In the chaos, 18 other children, ages 6 to 15, and three adults in their 80s were also struck by gunfire. The shooter, 23-year-old Robin Westman, unleashed 116 rifle rounds through stained-glass windows before dying by suicide at the scene, according to police reports cited by FOX 9 and other local outlets. In the days following the tragedy, investigators revealed Westman left behind a manifesto filled with hateful remarks toward multiple groups and an obsession with other mass killers, a detail that underscored the senselessness and premeditation of the attack.
As Minneapolis mourned, national attention quickly turned to the underlying causes and possible solutions. According to CNN and MSNBC, left-leaning media outlets focused heavily on the issue of gun violence and the ease with which the shooter acquired multiple firearms. "It is far too easy to buy a gun," MSNBC anchor Jen Psaki declared, while CNN’s Abby Phillip emphasized, "People who have known mental illness are still able to very easily just go in and get three guns and then use those guns to murder children in a school." These networks highlighted Minnesota's existing 'red flag' law, which allows courts to remove firearms from individuals in crisis, but questioned its effectiveness given the tragedy.
Conversely, right-leaning outlets like Fox News and Newsmax honed in on the shooter’s mental health and transgender identity, framing the massacre as a failure of cultural and medical systems rather than legislation. Fox News anchor Jesse Watters remarked, "Just a few years ago, the psychiatric community classified transgenderism as a mental illness. When someone has an illness, we should treat it instead of affirm it." Newsmax’s Rob Finnerty added, "Nobody wants to call this out for what it actually is – a mental illness that the left has spent years brainwashing society into thinking is normal." Each side, critics say, omitted key facts that might complicate their narrative, contributing to a polarized national conversation.
This divide is reflected in public opinion. A YouGov poll conducted in the aftermath found 51% of Americans view school shootings primarily as a mental health problem, while 41% see them as a firearm problem. The nearly even split, as reported by SAN and other sources, illustrates how deeply divided the nation remains—and how media framing can shape public understanding in the wake of such tragedies.
Political leaders were quick to respond. On September 2, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz announced plans to call a special legislative session to consider tougher gun laws. Addressing reporters after welcoming children back to a public school in Eagan, Walz said he aimed to propose a "very comprehensive" package, possibly including an assault-weapons ban, safe storage and liability insurance requirements, improvements to the state’s 2023 red flag law, and increased funding for mental health. "If Minnesota lets this moment slide, and we determine that it’s OK for little ones to not be safe in a school environment or a church environment, then shame on us," Walz stated, as reported by the Associated Press.
Yet, the path forward is anything but certain. The Minnesota Legislature remains closely divided, with a tie in the House and Senate Democrats holding only a one-vote majority. GOP Speaker Lisa Demuth criticized the governor for not consulting Republican leaders, stating, "As disappointing as it is that the governor is doing this in such an overtly political way, House Republicans stand ready to protect students and schools." She suggested her party might be open to expanding school security funding, including for private schools, and providing more money for mental health resources, "instead of vague demands for policies that have not stopped gun violence in other states." The mayors of Minneapolis, St. Paul, and Bloomington, meanwhile, called for lawmakers to allow cities to enact their own gun restrictions if the Legislature fails to act statewide.
National figures also weighed in. On September 2, President Donald Trump addressed reporters at the White House, raising the idea of arming a select group of teachers with military or National Guard backgrounds as a potential deterrent. "I've thrown out the concept, we have great teachers that love our children. The parents love their children, the teacher love the children too," Trump said. He continued, "If you took a small percentage of those teachers that were in the military, that were distinguished in the military, were in the national guard, etc., and you let them carry. That's something a lot of people like. I sort of liked it. It would have to be studied. But they've trained, they know about weapons. You can't do it with every teacher because most teachers don't know. But I always thought that would be an alternative." Trump’s comments echoed similar proposals he made after previous school shootings, suggesting that trained teachers could act as first responders in the event of an attack.
In the days following the shooting, the White House ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff nationwide. Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance planned to visit Minneapolis on September 3 to offer condolences to victims’ families in a series of private meetings, according to a statement from the White House. "Join all of us in praying for the victims!" Vance urged, reflecting the somber mood that has settled over the city.
Meanwhile, Minneapolis residents and community leaders gathered to march from the Lake Harriet Bandshell to Lynnhurst Park, honoring the lives lost and demanding action. While Annunciation students have not yet returned to class, other Minnesota public schools reopened on September 2. Hospitals continued to care for the wounded, with Hennepin Healthcare reporting three patients still hospitalized as of Monday, including one child in critical condition.
As the city and nation grapple with the aftermath, the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting stands as a stark reminder of the complex and deeply divisive issues surrounding gun violence, mental health, and school safety in America. Whether this moment will lead to meaningful change—or simply another round of political stalemate—remains to be seen.
