By Eniola Amadu
The mayor of Minneapolis has urged state and federal lawmakers to impose sweeping bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines following a school shooting that claimed the lives of two children.
Authorities said the attack took place on Wednesday during morning mass at Annunciation Catholic School, where pupils were gathered in the church.
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Two students, aged eight and ten, were killed after a gunman opened fire with a rifle through the windows.
Police identified the suspect as Robin Westman, born Robert Westman, who allegedly used a high-powered rifle to spray multiple rounds into the crowded pews.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Mayor Jacob Frey vowed not to let the tragedy fade into another cycle of inaction.
“Thoughts and prayers are not going to cut it,” he said. “It’s on all of us to see this through. We need to talk about the action and steps that need to take place.”
Frey pressed for both statewide and federal bans on assault weapons, along with limits on high-capacity magazines.
“There is no reason that someone should be able to reel off 30 shots before they even have to reload,” he added.
“We’re not talking about your father’s hunting rifle. We’re talking about guns built to pierce armour and kill people.”
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The shooting has reignited debate over gun laws in Minnesota and across the United States, where mass shootings frequently trigger calls for reform but face persistent deadlock in Congress.
While Minnesota has introduced some firearm restrictions, assault weapons remain widely available.
