Annunciation shooting: Gov. Walz says he’ll call special session on gun legislation

Students Demand Action rallies against gun violence [FULL]

The group Students Demand Action and several community leaders held a rally against gun violence on Monday at the State Capitol after last week's mass shooting at Annunciation Church left two children dead and 21 others wounded, as well as three adults.

EAGAN, Minn. (FOX 9) - Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was at Deerwood Elementary School in Eagan Tuesday morning as kids across the state had their first day of school. 

Gov. Walz to call special session

What we know:

He told reporters after welcoming kids back to classes he would call a special session at the State Capitol for gun legislation. That’s in the aftermath of last week’s mass shooting at Annunciation Church and School that killed two students and left another 21 people wounded.

Annunciation march: Mayor Jacob Frey calls for ban on assault weapons

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey spoke at a rally on Monday to honor victims of last week's Annunciation Church mass shooting. Monday's event features a march from the Lake Harriet Bandshell to Annunciation Catholic School.

Walz said he’ll be on the phone with Minnesota’s Republican legislators over the next day or two in hopes of getting support.

What they're saying:

"The thing that makes America unique in terms of shootings is we just have more guns and the wrong types of guns are on the streets. I’m calling through legislators to try and make sure they get there. I can call a special session, but I can’t run a special session," Walz said. "I’m going to need some Republicans to break with the orthodoxy and say we need to do something about guns. Once they do that, we’ll call that and bring them back. If Minnesota lets this moment slide and we determine it’s OK for little ones to not be safe in a school or church environment, then shame on us. So I’m going to call them back and ask them to do that."

Walz continued, "We owe our kids to give them the excitement of a first day of school. Our kids don’t need to be living in this trauma. When we went to school, there’s a couple things you didn’t worry about – you didn’t worry about being shot in your classroom, and you didn’t worry about how you were going to pay for higher education because it was more accessible."

Minnesota GOP responds

In a statement to FOX 9, Minnesota House Speaker Lisa Demuth, a Republican out of Cold Spring, responded to Walz statement on a special session.

The other side:

"After a long-overdue conversation with the Governor, the facts are clear: If he decides to call a special session, anything that we do needs to have bipartisan support. The House proved that we can work in a bipartisan fashion last session, and that cooperation needs to continue. If Governor Walz and Democrats are focused on partisan accusations and demands, this special session will not be productive for the people of Minnesota."

Mayor Jacob Frey calls for ban on assault rifles

Why you should care:

Minneapolis community leaders and residents gathered on Monday at the Lake Harriet Bandshell to march in support of the Annunciation shooting victims. The march went to Lynnhurst Park, near the school where last week’s tragedy happened.

Before they marched, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called for a nationwide and statewide ban on assault rifles and high-powered magazines.

"Prayers are not enough. This time needs to be different, we can make sure this time is different," Frey said. "These should not be controversial positions. We’re not talking about your father’s hunting rifle, we’re talking about the ability to reel off 30 rounds without having to reload. The kind of guns that were literally created to pierce armor and kill people. We don’t need those guns in our city."