100% Agreement

TW: includes references to gun violence and school shootings.

On Aug. 27, a shooter fired at the church of Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, killing two elementary schoolers, ages eight and 10, and injuring 14 other children, along with three adults. A shocking tragedy, the attack garnered mourning and media attention on both the local and national levels, with countless announcements of grief and Catholic schools across the country bolstering security protocols. Additionally, the shooter’s former identity as a transgender woman has come into contention, with some using it as justification to attack members of the transgender community.

Three weeks after the shooting, a wide range of emotions is inevitable. For those closest to the Annunciation community, grief is inescapable. But for many others, in the Twin Cities and beyond, it can feel easy to move on quickly. The sad reality is that we live in a time where school shootings seem more and more common, making it easy for one to become desensitized to death and to get into a habit of pushing emotions down in the face of hard times. The Annunciation shooting itself was just one of 153 American school shootings in 2025, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database. In fact, just one day before the attack, students at Cristo Rey Jesuit High School were victims of a parking lot shooting. These deaths were largely overshadowed by the Annunciation shooting in the media, a frightening example of the commonality of school shootings in the United States. It’s this desensitization, though, that should be the wake-up call to become more aware of your emotions and how to use them to be proactive. Ignoring grief is how issues stay prominent, and change remains a distant goal.

Fighting desensitization starts internally. Don’t push aside strong emotions; instead, challenge yourself to experience those emotions and feel sympathy for those directly affected by shootings. Confronting inconvenient and difficult feelings is the first step in becoming more aware of the severity of something you’ve become comfortable with. Use those emotions to participate in action. In the last week, student walkouts and protests have been organized by WeAreTiredMN and Students Demand Action, respectively, with more bound to come, whether student-run or otherwise. Attend these protests with the goal of making your voice heard and taking part in something substantial.

The increased hatred toward transgender people further highlights the importance of being proactive. Many, including federal government officials, continue to conflate the shooter’s former identity with his actions in an attempt to vilify transgender people and dismiss their actions as a “mental health issue,” as Republican representative Byron Donalds put it. To counteract this narrative, remember to keep your transgender peers in mind while prioritizing the primary issue of gun control. Make your voice heard by reaching out to local legislators and city councils about firearm regulation.

As Governor Tim Walz takes action to call a special session on gun laws, keeping pressure on policymakers is critical to ensure positive action continues to happen.

Underneath all responses to gun violence is a necessity to understand the gravity of the situation. In the case of the Annunciation shooting, which was in such close proximity to SPA, it might’ve been easier to comprehend the extremity of gun violence. Remember the feelings and emotions of this instance and use them to extend your solidarity and participation moving forward.