Statement from Josh Crosson, Executive Director of EdAllies, on the Annunciation Catholic School tragedy

By Josh Crosson

Our community is shattered. This time of year should be colored with excitement to go back to school with children eager to revisit with friends and teachers, and parents relieved that school is starting again, and nostalgic as their little ones grow up. Instead, children were met with gunfire, creating a community-wide fear as parents are sending their kids to schools that now feel dangerous. Two beloved students, just eight and ten years old, were killed, and their families are grieving their immense loss. As of now, 17 others are wounded: 14 children and three elders in their 80s. As of last night, one adult and five children remained in critical condition. I can’t stop thinking about the ten-year-old who survived because his friend lay on top of him. No child should have to be brave in that way.

Our hearts are with the Annunciation Catholic School community in South Minneapolis. Our students, families, educators, clergy, and neighbors were jolted by a fear that should never enter a school, a sanctuary, or a child’s imagination. To the first responders, hospital staff, and faith leaders who rushed toward danger and pain: thank you for caring for our most vulnerable. To the thousands who gathered at vigils across the city: your grief and solidarity at this moment bring us all back into community as we mourn the loss of life and innocence.

The facts are infuriating. A 23-year-old former Annunciation student, armed with three legally purchased firearms, shot into a church during morning Mass. We don’t yet know the motive. We do know this: children are innocent, and they rely on us for everything, especially their safety. If we mean what we say about loving them, caring for them, and giving them everything they need to become thriving adults, then we must prove it in policy, practice, and culture. Right now, deep cuts to Medicaid threaten mental health care, local cuts to education reduce the number of counselors and teachers who care for our kids, society views LGBTQ+ children and children from immigrant families as more of a threat than unregulated firearms, and policymakers protect the status quo more than the lives of our babies. We are living in unacceptable times.

To avoid tragedies like this from ever happening again, we need common-sense gun violence prevention and serious mental-health supports. We need all hands on deck to enact a both/and, not either/or, approach at prioritizing the lives and safety of our children.

We need moral clarity. In the aftermath of tragedies like this, some look for scapegoats. Lately, people have placed that blame on our transgender neighbors. Let’s tell the truth: non-transgender people of many backgrounds carry out the vast majority of gun violence, including homicides and mass shootings. Transgender people are far more likely to be targeted by violence than to perpetrate it. Redirecting fear toward a marginalized group does nothing to keep children safe. In fact, it puts transgender children in harm’s way and distracts us from real solutions. People of faith across traditions have been among the first to show up with casseroles, prayer, and fierce love after this shooting. Our compassion toward our most marginalized communities and our policies should reflect that same love.

This is personal for our education community. EdAllies exists because every child deserves a great education and a safe place to learn. There is no “learning” when a child is practicing how to make themselves small beneath a pew. There is no “back to school” when a parent considers a bulletproof backpack. If protecting kids requires political courage, then let’s be courageous. If it requires compromise, let’s compromise on everything except their safety.

To families and educators who are hurting right now: you are not alone. If you or a young person needs support, please reach out whenever you need.

• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline: Call or text 988 (24/7)
  
• Hennepin County Children’s Crisis Response (0–17): 612-348-2233 (24/7)
  
• COPE for Adults (18+): 612-596-1223 (24/7)
  
• National Parent Helpline: 1-855-427-2736
  

We will honor the lives we lost by protecting our children, present and future, at all costs. That means pushing for common-sense gun laws, expanding mental-health care, and rejecting the easy lie that safety comes from blaming our most marginalized and through school pushout, rather than deep-seated prevention. Hold your kids a little closer tonight. Check on the teacher down the block. And call your legislators in the morning.

Grief is heavy. And our responsibility to our children must be stronger.

In solidarity,

Josh Crosson