Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fry denigrated the importance of prayer following a shooting at a Catholic school in his city that left two students dead and 17 others injured.
The incident occurred during morning Mass at Annunciation Catholic School, when a shooter opened fire through a window into the church.
“He just pepper-sprayed through the stained-glass windows into the building, 50 to 100 shots,” a parent told the Minnesota Star Tribune.
With a great deal of emotion in his voice, Frey told reporters afterward, “Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying.”
“It was the first week of school. They were in a church,” the mayor added.
“Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey speaks after at least two people were killed in a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School, sources said. https://t.co/DDDRKlgkKo pic.twitter.com/Ai1faAXKZO
— ABC News (@ABC) August 27, 2025
The clear subtext of Frey’s words was, “Praying does not work. The kids were in a church, and God didn’t protect them.”
The mayor closed his remarks with a good enough sentiment, saying, “To the families that are suffering, to those that have experienced loss, I’m so deeply sorry. We’re going to be with you every step of the way. We love you. This kind of act of evil should never happen, and it happens far too often.”
Will you pray for the victims of this attack?
He will no doubt be calling for greater gun control laws soon. That’s the Democrat mantra, and other left-wing officials in the past have said after mass shootings that stricter gun laws are needed, not “thoughts and prayers.”
Frey at least acknowledged that the shooter engaged in an “act of evil.”
The mayor, who is Jewish and has said his faith is important to him, is no doubt aware of the Ten Commandments, in which God instructs people, “You shall not murder.”
Why would God give the instruction if evil people did not have the free will to kill other humans?
The highly troubled, likely demonized, alleged transgender shooter — 23-year-old Robin Westman, formerly known as Robert Westman — reportedly left an 11-minute YouTube manifesto.
Regarding the video, conservative commentator Charlie Kirk posted, “The suspect wrote notes on the weapons he used including ‘Kill Trump Now!,’ ‘McVeigh,’ ‘Where is Your God?,’ ‘Burn Israel’ and ‘6 million was not enough.’ He had a human-shaped target with Jesus’s face attached to it.”
So we know where this guy was coming from. If he hadn’t had access to guns, he could have used a car or other means to kill.
Evidence is emerging of the suspected shooter in Minneapolis and appears to be psychotic, manic 22-year-old young man, possibly trans, who left an 11-minute manifesto video on YouTube just hours before the shooting happened. The video has been taken down. The suspect wrote notes… pic.twitter.com/kM46W23OHp
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) August 27, 2025
The Old Testament laid out the penalty for murder, which is death. In this case, the shooter reportedly took his own life.
Jesus instructed us to pray that God’s perfect will would be done on earth as it is in heaven, with the implication that it is not the way things will go otherwise.
The Bible tells us, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil,” and “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”
Frey’s takeaway from Tuesday’s shooting should not be that prayer does not work, or people should pray less, but that more of God’s kingdom needs to be manifested on earth: “Thy will be done.”
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