In a recent episode of her MSNBC show "The Briefing," former White House press secretary Jen Psaki was visibly moved to tears as she discussed the tragic mass shooting that occurred at the Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis.
Psaki, who had previously expressed her frustration with the Christian community's response to such incidents on social media, stated that she had had "enough" of their "thoughts and prayers."
The incident, which took place during a Wednesday morning Mass, was reportedly carried out by a trans-identifying male. Psaki's comments on social media, where she stated that prayers are "not freaking enough," sparked a significant backlash.
On her show, Psaki revealed that she had been deeply affected by the news of the shooting, particularly because her own children are of similar ages to the victims. She was visibly emotional as she spoke about the incident.
According to the Daily Caller, Psaki said, "I have been thinking, as Im sure everybody who has consumed this today has been doing as well, about my kids, who happen to be about the same ages as the two who were killed, about sending them off to school this morning. Ive been thinking about their friends and their teachers, about all the parents, about all the grandparents out there navigating the return to school."
She then took a moment to collect herself before adding, "All they should be hoping to do is have someone to sit with at lunch or someone to play with on the playground."
The alleged gunman, identified as Robin Westman, a man in his 20s, killed two children and injured at least 17 others during the attack. In the wake of the tragedy, Democrats, including Psaki, have been calling for more stringent gun control measures, arguing that "thoughts and prayers" are insufficient to prevent such incidents.
Psaki continued her emotional discourse, at one point seeming to apologize for her tears, stating that the topic was a "tough one" for her. She said, "They should be waiting to hear an update when they get home. And that is not what these parents at the school experienced today. Having your child killed while they are sitting in a pew for a morning prayer service is not what any parent should have to worry about."
The former press secretary also criticized President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance for offering "thoughts and prayers" to the victims, arguing that lawmakers need to take more decisive action to control gun ownership in the U.S.
Authorities reported that Westman fired through a window of the Annunciation Catholic Church during Mass, killing an eight-year-old and a 10-year-old. Before the police could apprehend him, Westman died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the back of the church.
Disturbing videos, which appeared to be a manifesto of the gunman, were uploaded to a YouTube account bearing Westman's name. The footage showed multiple guns, cartridges, and ammunition with cryptic messages written on them, including phrases like, "Where is your God?," "6 million wasnt enough," "kill pedos" and calls to kill President Donald Trump.
In 2019, Westman legally changed his name from Robert to Robin. Court records indicate that his mother, an employee at the Annunciation Catholic Church, submitted the application for the name change.
The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that the application stated the change was necessary because Westman "identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification."
Login