Barack Obama, Kamala Harris react to deadly Minneapolis school shooting

“Our leaders must have the courage to act to stop these tragedies,” said former Vice President Kamala Harris.

The country is reeling from yet another mass shooting after the Annunciation Catholic School community in Minneapolis, Minnesota, was horrified by a deadly shooting during a church mass that left two young students dead and 17 others injured.

Political leaders reacted to the deadly shooting, including some who called for stricter gun reform as America approaches nearly 300 mass shootings this year.

President Donald Trump, who asked Americans to join him in “praying for everyone involved,” ordered that flags be lowered to half-staff at the White House, public buildings, and military facilities in honor of the Minneapolis school shooting victims.

In a statement on X, former President Barack Obama wrote, “We can’t allow ourselves to become numb to mass shootings.” Obama called the Minneapolis tragedy “heartbreaking,” adding, “Michelle and I are praying for the parents who have lost a child or will be sitting at their hospital bedside after yet another act of unspeakable, unnecessary violence.”

Obama notably served as president when Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut, was struck by a mass shooter in 2012, killing 20 children and six adults. It is the deadliest elementary school shooting in U.S. history–a day Obama would later describe as “the single darkest day of my presidency.”

President Obama fought back tears addressing the nation on the day of the Sandy Hook shooting, saying from the White House press briefing room, “As a country, we have been through this too many times…we’re gonna have to come together and take meaningful action to prevent more tragedies like this, regardless of the politics.”

Former Vice President Kamala Harris, who worked alongside President Joe Biden to establish the White House’s first-ever Office of Gun Violence Prevention, also reacted to the Annuciation school shooting.

“The beginning of a new school year should be filled with excitement and anticipation. But today, it was marred by yet another act of senseless gun violence,” Harris said in a statement. “The students, teachers, and community of Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis now share a traumatic experience that has affected far too many Americans.”

Harris said she spoke to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, whom she tapped as her vice presidential running mate in the 2024 presidential election, to “share Doug and my grief for the families impacted and our gratitude for the first responders and law enforcement on the scene.”

Former Vice President Harris oversaw the Biden White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention, which was primarily tasked with implementing the 2022 Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which was the first federal comprehensive gun reform law in 20 years. The law’s investments in community violence intervention were credited for the decline in mass shootings in subsequent years.

However, upon re-entering office, President Trump eliminated the Office of Gun Violence Prevention and slashed $800 million in federal funding for gun violence prevention.

In her statement, Harris called for leaders to take action to prevent the rollback of the progress already made in reducing gun violence in America.

The former presidential candidate added, “[Minneapolis] Mayor Jacob Frey said it clearly: ‘Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying.’ We know the solutions. Our leaders must have the courage to act to stop these tragedies.”