The mayor of Minneapolis criticized Christians offering prayers for victims of a shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church, where 17 people were injured and two children killed during morning Mass. Democratic Mayor Jacob Frey dismissed “thoughts and prayers” as an inadequate response to the attack, stating, “Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying.”

The shooting occurred on Wednesday at a church that includes a school for children from prekindergarten through eighth grade. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara described the incident as a “deliberate act of violence against innocent children” after a gunman fired a rifle, shotgun, and pistol through the church’s windows during Mass. The victims included 14 children, two of whom were in critical condition, while the deceased were aged 8 and 10.

Frey later addressed claims that the shooter, identified as Robin Westman, was transgender, calling for focus on gun control rather than the perpetrator’s identity. “Anybody who is using this … as an opportunity to villainize our trans community has lost their sense of common humanity,” he said, adding, “We need to be doing more than talking.”

The mayor emphasized the need for action against gun violence, noting, “We’ve got more guns in this country than we have people.” No further details about the shooter’s motives or ties to the church were disclosed.