Coalition of Minnesota Gun Safety Groups Urge Governor Walz to Call a Special Session Immediately to Ban Weapons of War

Calls for State Ban on Assault Weapons Comes After Two Children Killed and 18 More Wounded on Third Day Back to School at Annunciation Catholic School

MINNEAPOLIS - Today, a coalition of gun violence prevention groups released the following statements calling on Minnesota Governor Walz to immediately call a special session for lawmakers to ban assault weapons in honor of the victims of the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School. The coalition includes the Minnesota chapters of Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action, Protect Minnesota, Brady Northland, Brady United's Minnesota chapter, and the Minnesota chapter of the GIFFORDS gun owner Caucus.

"Time and time again, mass shootings, carried out with weapons of war, end children's lives, leaving families grief-stricken and communities traumatized," said Carla Gillespie, a volunteer with the Minnesota chapter of Moms Demand Action. "We refuse to let that happen again. Governor Walz must call a special session now - and lawmakers from across the aisle must come together to ban assault weapons in Minnesota. Our kids are worth it."

"No one should be scared to go to school out of fear of being shot. Our schools should be where our dreams are shaped, not our nightmares," said Timberlyn Mazeikis, a former Michigan State University student who survived the mass shooting on campus in 2023 and now, a volunteer leader with the Students Demand Action group at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities. "Minnesota lawmakers, on both sides of the aisle, must act to pass a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. That's why we are at the capitol today: to ask Governor Walz to call a special session on public safety and demand our politicians prioritize our safety over the gun lobby's interests."

"What happened at Annunciation Church and School should never happen. Not here. Not anywhere," said Maggiy Emery, Executive Director of Protect Minnesota. "Schools and churches are meant to be safe havens - places where children and families are protected, nurtured, and free from fear. Instead, we are mourning preventable gun violence in spaces that should have been sacred and secure. This is a breaking point. Gun violence is a public health crisis, and we cannot continue to accept it as normal. Minnesota must act now to ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines, and take meaningful steps to keep our kids safe."

"Kids should not be in fear for their lives when simply going to school or church, but that is our reality in the United States where gun violence is the number one cause of death for children," said Joan Peterson, Co-President of the Brady Northland. "Here in Minnesota, we can do more and be the heroes of our own story. Minnesota should finally join states around the nation that've said enough is enough and pass an assault weapons ban and a ban on large-capacity magazines."

"Every shooting is preventable, and lawmakers everywhere have a responsibility to put a stop to these tragedies. Minnesotans are fortunate to have leaders who have passed meaningful reforms to reduce gun violence, but last week's killing of innocent children shows that more must be done," said GIFFORDS State Legislative Director Sean Holihan. "GIFFORDS is ready to work with policymakers to craft and pass laws that keep guns out of the hands of dangerous people and save lives."

Assault weapons and high-capacity magazines are especially lethal firearms most frequently used in mass shootings, capable of firing more rounds, at higher speeds, and with far greater destructive force than standard handguns. These weapons were designed for the battlefield - not our schools, churches or city streets.

The mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School was just one of two deadly shootings in Minneapolis in 24 hours which both appeared to involve assault-style rifles. At least nine out of the 10 mass shooting incidents with the most casualties since 2015 involved at least one firearm equipped with a high-capacity magazine and the use of at least one assault weapon. When the U.S. had a federal assault weapons ban on the books, it worked. State-level assault weapon bans are associated with a lower likelihood of an active shooter event. Not only are laws prohibiting assault weapons constitutional, these policies are effective - and they save lives.

Gun violence costs Minnesota $6.6 billion each year, of which $105.5 million is paid by taxpayers. Minnesota has decent gun safety laws, ranking #14 out of all 50 states. In an average year, 527 people die by guns in Minnesota, and 1,174 more are wounded. Firearms are the fourth leading cause of death among children and teens in Minnesota and an average of 39 children and teens die by guns every year. Read more about gun violence in Minnesota here and assault weapons here.