An eighth-grade student who survived a mass shooting at a Catholic church is urging lawmakers to act, saying the protection of children must come before politics.
Lydia Kaiser, who was critically wounded during an August 2025 shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, spoke publicly this week about her experience. According to EWTN, Kaiser addressed a Feb. 24 news conference on gun violence, where Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz unveiled a series of proposed gun restrictions and school safety initiatives.
“On Aug. 27, I was in church attending the first school Mass of the year when a gun fired 116 rounds of bullets through the stained-glass windows,” Kaiser said, according to EWTN. “Two students were shot and killed. Two students survived gunshot injuries to the head. I’m one of them.”
The attack shattered what should have been a sacred and joyful gathering at the start of the school year. Kaiser recalled that “many more students were injured by bullets and flying glass,” and that “we all hid under the pews. The older students covered the younger students to protect them,” according to EWTN.
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Kaiser underwent emergency brain surgery after being shot. “The doctor removed a large piece, almost half of my skull, to let my brain swell and to remove bone and bullet fragments from my head,” she said, according to EWTN. Weeks later, she required another operation. “I had a second surgery three weeks later to put the piece of my skull back in my head,” she continued.
Her message to lawmakers was direct. “All children have the right to live free from gun violence in schools, churches, and in our communities,” Kaiser said, according to EWTN. “No one should have to go through what we went through.”
At the same news conference, Gov. Tim Walz proposed 11 gun control measures along with expanded mental health and school safety resources. According to EWTN, the proposals include banning binary triggers, firearms without serial numbers, and magazines holding more than 10 rounds. Walz also proposed mandatory reporting of lost or stolen guns, increased safe storage requirements, mandated firearm insurance, and a tax on the sale of guns and ammunition.
Minnesota already ranks as the 14th most-strict state for gun laws, according to EWTN. Guns are banned from K–12 schools, and the state has an Extreme Risk Law allowing judges to remove firearms from individuals deemed a threat.
Walz also called for repealing certain preemption laws to give local governments more authority to restrict firearms, implementing “gun industry accountability” measures, and allowing public colleges and universities to limit visitors carrying firearms, according to EWTN.
In addition to firearm restrictions, Walz emphasized mental health resources. According to EWTN, his plan would add a medical assistance benefit for coordinated specialty care for individuals in the early stages of psychosis and create school-based “multidisciplinary teams composed of counselors, nurses, mental health professionals, teachers, administrators, and law enforcement” to support safe learning environments.
“In the past year we have seen gun violence inflict immense heartbreak and loss in Minnesota. It’s time for us to come together to take real, actionable steps toward commonsense gun laws,” Walz said, according to EWTN.
Not all leaders agree with the governor’s approach. Rob Doar, president of the Minnesota Gun Owners Law Center, criticized the proposal. “Every time the government has attempted to ban something … it does not eliminate those things,” Doar said, according to EWTN. “It drives them underground, creates a lucrative illicit market, and only empowers those who are already willing to ignore the law.”
Bryan Strawser, chair of the same group, argued that the measures “target peaceable gun owners … while doing little to stop violent criminals who already ignore the law,” according to EWTN. However, he acknowledged there may be room for agreement, noting “potential for common ground” in strengthening mental health resources, crisis response, school safety measures, and enforcing existing laws against violent offenders.
“Public safety and constitutional rights can coexist without conflict,” Strawser said, according to EWTN.
For Catholics, the tragedy at Annunciation Catholic Church raises urgent moral questions about the protection of life and the responsibility of civil authorities. As the Church continues to pray for the souls of the students who were killed and for the healing of the wounded, Kaiser’s testimony stands as a sobering reminder of the vulnerability of children—even within the walls of a church.
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