Democrats, activists rally at state Capitol to call for assault weapons ban after Annunciation Church shooting

A few hundred people gathered Monday on the steps of the State Capitol to call for Minnesota to ban assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines after the deadly attack on Annunciation Church in Minneapolis.

“How many children have to die in the state of Minnesota before our leaders act?” said Aaliyah Murray, a 20-year-old activist.

A lineup of youth and adult speakers, including a handful of DFL lawmakers, expressed weariness, anger and sadness at yet another deadly school shooting in the U.S.

On Wednesday, a 23-year-old carrying three firearms killed two children and injured 21 other people when she shot through stained glass windows during a morning Mass at the Catholic school, authorities say. HCMC said Monday that the hospital is still caring for three patients: one child who is in critical condition, one child in satisfactory condition and one adult in satisfactory condition.

It was the latest act of horrific violence in Minnesota, coming after Vance Boelter was charged with murdering former House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark, in June in what authorities say was a politically motivated assassination. Boelter is also charged with attempted murder for shooting state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette.

Most in the crowd on Monday at the Capitol dressed in red, the color worn by some gun control advocacy groups. Many carried homemade signs or wore shirts with messages like “Protect kids not guns.” Some had pictures of 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski, who were killed in the Annunciation shooting.

Many speakers asked lawmakers to consider boosting mental health care but made clear their focus is on limiting access to guns. “I hear people saying ‘People kill people, the guns don’t kill people,’ ” said state Rep. Dave Pinto, a DFLer from St. Paul who sponsored past gun policy approved by the Legislature. “Boy, you can kill a lot more people with an assault weapon.”

“Children at Annunciation School in Minneapolis were shot and killed while praying during Mass,” said Timberlyn Mazeikis, a volunteer with Students Demand Action and a student at the University of Minnesota who survived a mass shooting at Michigan State University in 2023. “If that doesn’t tell us that we haven’t made nearly enough progress on gun safety because of bipartisan gridlock in Minnesota, I don’t know what will.”

In 2023, DFL lawmakers had full control of the Legislature and passed two new gun regulations. The measures extended background checks to certain private gun transfers and created a red flag law that allows people to petition a court to order the temporary seizure of firearms from someone who is deemed a danger to themselves or others.

But a push for other gun laws, including a prohibition on certain semi-automatic rifles and large firearm magazines, fell short in the face of widespread opposition from Republicans and a smaller contingent of Democrats.

Now, the DFL likely faces a tougher road to enacting additional gun regulations. The party would need Republican support to pass the evenly divided House and to win enough votes in a Senate that Democrats control by one vote.

Since the shooting in Minneapolis, prominent Republicans have argued a ban on certain semi-automatic weapons won’t prevent violence, and that focus should be on other legislation to upgrade school security, reduce crime and improve mental health.

“The policy and legal questions around an assault weapons ban are a lot more complicated than I think what’s being presented,” Niska told the Minnesota Star Tribune. “That’s the real reason why I don’t think there’s been progress on it in Minnesota.”

Authorities say Robin Westman used a rifle, pistol and a shotgun during the attack at Annunciation, “underscoring that focusing on the design of a firearm misses the larger point,” said Rob Doar, senior vice president of government affairs for the Minnesota Gun Owners Caucus, a gun rights nonprofit.

In a statement on Monday, Doar said tens of thousands of AR-style rifles and accessories are already legally owned in Minnesota and that a ban wouldn’t change that or survive a legal challenge.

“Instead of treating this as a political football in an election year, we should pursue steps that research shows are effective: strengthening mental health resources, broadening community support systems, providing schools with discreet layered security, and denying perpetrators the notoriety they seek,” Doar said. “These solutions would have real impact and can earn broad bipartisan, even unanimous, support.”

Democrats in recent years have raised other ideas to limit access to guns, including raising the legal age to buy certain rifles from 18 to 21 years. The shooter at Annunciation was 23.

On Tuesday, a group of mayors that includes Jacob Frey of Minneapolis, Melvin Carter of St. Paul and Hollies Winston of Brooklyn Park plans to hold a news conference to urge the Legislature to change a state law that blocks cities from passing local gun or ammunition restrictions.

At the Capitol rally on Monday, Mary Koltz of Roseville said it was her third gathering at the Capitol this year in favor of gun restrictions.