Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey faced fierce backlash Wednesday after attacking people of faith for offering prayers during a press conference on a tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School, with critics blasting his remarks as “tone-deaf” and “callous” in the wake of violence that specifically targeted children at worship.
At the news conference, Frey declared, “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. These are kids that should be learning with their friends. They should be playing on the playground. They should be able to go to school or church in peace without the fear or risk of violence.”
The shooting unfolded Wednesday morning as children attended Mass, marking their first week back at the Catholic school in South Minneapolis. FBI Director Kash Patel identified the gunman as 23-year-old Robin Westman — born Robert Westman, who legally changed his name in 2020 after identifying “as a female.” Patel confirmed the FBI is investigating the massacre as “an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics.”
The attacker fired through church windows at children seated in pews, killing two — ages eight and ten — and injuring 14 other children and three adults before turning the gun on himself. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara called the assault “evil” and “a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshipping.”
Frey’s comments drew swift condemnation across social media. Media analyst Scott Jennings wrote on X: “Tragedy struck a Minneapolis Catholic school today & the very first thing Mayor @Jacob_Frey did was attack people of faith for calling for prayer. I couldn’t believe it when I heard it. Whatever your political ideology, there are few moments where prayer is more appropriate.”
Radio host Bo Snerdley (James Golden) accused the Democrat mayor of using the tragedy to “slander Christians for ‘thoughts and prayers,’” while Libs of TikTok circulated video of Frey’s controversial remarks, highlighting his acknowledgment that “These kids were literally praying!”
Radio host Dana Loesch blasted Frey’s timing: “Nothing says idiot politicians like this guy who comes out and promptly attacks and mocks prayer after a tragedy.”
Former CIA officer Bryan Dean Wright called the mayor’s words evidence of a deeper crisis, writing: “We are in a spiritual war with evil in this country, with this man and his Leftist movement a vehicle for a very dark force. This is exactly the time to pray.”
Media personality Michele Tafoya noted the hypocrisy, recalling Frey’s high-profile mourning at George Floyd’s casket: “Why are people criticizing prayer in this moment? For millions, prayer is the most significant and profound thing they can do in the wake of such evil and tragedy. These kids were praying. And you’re going to discourage that, @MayorFrey?”
Writer Batya Ungar-Sargon stressed the chilling context: “I am just gobsmacked that in their effort to immediately politicize a horrific tragedy in which children were murdered at prayer, the line that Democrat after Democrat seem to have chosen is ‘Where is your God?’ – which, incidentally, the murderer wrote on the magazine of his gun.”
Former Georgia Rep. Vernon Jones tied Frey’s remarks to broader Democratic messaging: “After the Minneapolis murders by a liberal democrat trans, Minneapolis Mayor, Jacob Frey @Jacob_Frey, @cnn’s liberal hack @DanaBashCNN and other democrats are now saying it’s not about thoughts and prayers any more. Are democrats now abandoning prayer?”
Journalist Peter J. Hasson called the mayor’s words incomprehensible: “I cannot imagine what kind of person denigrates prayer after Catholic school children were killed in the very act of praying.”
Commentator Emily Jashinsky added: “Almost no one ever ‘just’ says the reaction should be about thoughts and prayers — even conservative Christians believe in policy solutions of their own. He just doesn’t like those solutions. But it’s really time to retire this cheap hit on people of faith, especially when they’re the direct targets of an attack.”
Podcaster Nick Solheim delivered perhaps the bluntest rebuke: “Minnesota has really cornered the market on leaders who hate God. This is such a profoundly evil and wicked thing to say.”
President Trump ordered flags flown at half-staff following the massacre. FBI Director Patel confirmed the federal probe into what he labeled a terror attack against the Catholic community.
Meanwhile, Frey doubled down by cautioning against what he called “hate” toward the transgender community, insisting: “Anybody who is using this as an opportunity to villainize our trans community or any other community out there has lost their sense of common humanity.”
Joshua Klein is a reporter for Breitbart News. Email him at jklein@breitbart.com. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKlein.
