Overview

• Authorities say two children were killed and more than a dozen others were wounded during Mass at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, and the suspect died at the scene of an apparent suicide.
• White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Jen Psaki’s post dismissing “thoughts and prayers” “utterly disrespectful” to Americans of faith and urged her to pray for the families.
• Psaki defended her position on MSNBC, saying prayer offers comfort but does not prevent gun violence, and pressed the administration on measures such as universal background checks and assault‑weapons restrictions.
• Vice President JD Vance criticized Psaki for targeting people who pray, while Gov. Gavin Newsom and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey argued that reliance on “thoughts and prayers” is insufficient, noting children were praying when shot.
• FBI Director Kash Patel said evidence points to a hate‑motivated act of domestic terrorism by the identified suspect, Robert (Robin) Westman, as officials review online material and study potential links to psychiatric drugs and gender transition, which remain unproven lines of inquiry.