A horrific shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis has thrust Minnesota's security funding policies into the spotlight. On Wednesday, a 23-year-old trans-identifying individual named Robert "Robin" Westman stormed the church during Mass, unleashing a barrage of gunfire that claimed the lives of two children and injured more than a dozen. The assailant, who began identifying as female at 17, then took their own life, leaving behind a chilling trail of anti-Christian and anti-Trump rhetoric.
The attack, now under federal investigation as a hate crime and an act of domestic terrorism, occurred despite a record state budget surplus and repeated requests from the Minnesota Catholic Conference for security funding for private and religious schools. Governor Tim Walz (D) had previously denied these requests, excluding private educational institutions from the proposed $50 million Building and Cyber Security Grant Program. The decision, made even as the state boasted a $17.6 billion surplus, has raised questions about the prioritization of funding and the safety of nonpublic school students.
Breitbart reported that the Minnesota Catholic Conference, representing the state's six dioceses, had twice sought modest funding to bolster security, emphasizing that the 72,000 students attending these schools face risks similar to their counterparts in public schools. Despite bipartisan legislative support for extending the Safe Schools Program to these institutions, Governor Walz declined to convene a special session to address the issue.
The tragedy has incited immediate political responses, with Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and other Democrats like Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey calling for stricter gun control measures. Meanwhile, conservative voices, including President Donald Trump, have focused on honoring the victims and offering federal support to affected families.
This incident follows heightened political actions in Minnesota, where state dollars have been directed toward establishing the state as a "trans refuge," protecting those seeking gender-affirming procedures. Just days before the attack, Attorney General Keith Ellison pledged to continue legal challenges against President Trump's policies, specifically defending the transgender community from being scapegoated.
As more details come to light, pressure mounts on Minnesota leaders to justify their funding decisions. The exclusion of Catholic schools from security grants, juxtaposed with the recent attack, has sparked a debate over whether political priorities are overshadowing the essential duty to protect children.
