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Annunciation survivor calls for action on gun violence
Lydia Kaiser, an eighth-grade student at Annunciation Catholic School, shared her harrowing experience of surviving a mass shooting, calling on lawmakers to take action on gun violence.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Gov. Tim Walz, legislative leaders, and community advocates unveiled a package of bills on Tuesday aimed at combating gun violence.
DFL leaders push gun violence package
What we know:
Gov. Walz was joined by lawmakers and community advocates Tuesday morning as they unveiled a package of gun violence prevention bills.
The bills range from bans on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines to safe storage laws, lost gun reporting requirements, closing ghost gun loopholes, firearm insurance requirements, funding for early intervention resources including school resources, and a tax on firearms and ammunition.
Annunciation survivor tells lawmakers they ‘have a duty to protect us from guns’
What they're saying:
Joining the governor was Lydia Kaiser, an Annunication Catholic School student who survived the shooting last year. Lydia survived but was seriously injured when the gunman opened fire during Wednesday morning mass at Annunciation.
"Two students survived gunshot injuries to the head; I am one of them," recounted Lydia. "Many more students were injured by bullets and flying glass. We all hid under the pews. The older students covered the younger students to protect them. I was taken to the hospital and rushed into surgery. The doctor moved a large piece, almost half of my skull, to let my brain swell and to remove bone and bullet fragments from my head. I had a second surgery three weeks later to put the piece of my skull back in my head."
Kaiser made a plea to lawmakers to take action on gun violence, telling them it is their "duty to protect them."
"All children have the right to live, free from gun violence in schools, churches, and in our communities," said Kaiser. "Elected officials have a duty to protect us from guns. No one should have to go through what we went through at Annunciation."
No action after shooting
The backstory:
Gun violence has been a top issue for the DFL since the shooting last August at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis. Gov. Walz, Democratic leaders, and gun control groups made strong pushes in the wake of the shooting, which left two young students dead and 26 others hurt, for stiffer gun laws in the state.
The governor threatened to call a special session focused on gun violence following the shooting. However, that special session never came to fruition as negotiations at the capitol seemed to stall.
Out-of-session Senate hearings were held on gun violence following the shooting, with little progress made to bridge the partisan gap between safety plans proposed by DFL and GOP members, despite emotional testimony from Annunciation parents.
Dig deeper:
DFL lawmakers have called for state bans on assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, 50-caliber or larger firearms, and undetectable firearms that can be detected by metal detectors. Gun bans are expected to be part of the legislation unveiled on Tuesday. Bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazine weapons are also due to be heard at a House committee hearing Tuesday afternoon.
Republicans, however, have focused on improving safety at schools, including guaranteeing a school resource officer at every school in the state. They also supported an increase in funding for mental health treatment beds and increased penalties for repeat gun violations and straw purchases that enable violent crime.