Another heartbreaking attack on innocent children has shaken America to its core. Two young souls, just 8 and 10 years old, were gunned down while praying at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis this morning. Seventeen others were wounded when this monster opened fire through church windows during morning Mass.
These precious kids were doing what millions of American families teach their children to do – they were praying and learning about faith. Instead of starting their school week with hope and joy, they faced unimaginable terror from a coward with a gun. This was not just an attack on a school – it was an attack on our Christian values and everything we hold dear.
The gunman chose to target the most vulnerable among us while they worshipped God. He fired dozens of rounds through stained glass windows at children sitting in pews with their families and teachers. This level of evil shows the moral decay that is rotting away at the heart of our nation.
Mayor Jacob Frey spoke with raw emotion about kids who were literally praying when bullets started flying. The images of parents rushing to the scene and police escorting crying children to safety will haunt every parent in America tonight. No child should ever face this kind of horror in a house of worship.
Our brave law enforcement officers responded quickly and professionally to end this nightmare. The shooter took his own life, sparing taxpayers the cost of a lengthy trial and ensuring he can never hurt another child. Justice was swift, even if it came too late for those innocent victims.
This tragedy reminds us why we must protect our schools and churches with everything we have. Soft targets like religious institutions need real security, not just thoughts and prayers. Our children deserve better than being sitting ducks for the next madman who wants to make headlines.
The attack comes at a time when Christianity is under assault across America. From attacks on religious freedom to the removal of faith from public life, believers are facing hostility like never before. Now our children cannot even pray safely in their own churches without fear.
Tonight, patriotic Americans will pray for the families torn apart by this senseless violence. We will stand with the survivors and honor the memory of those two beautiful children who died doing nothing more than worshipping their Creator. This is not the America we want to leave our kids.
