Eden Prairie legislators call for action after Minneapolis school shooting

Legislators across Minnesota are weighing how to respond after the Aug. 27 shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis that left two students under 10 dead and 21 others injured.

Eden Prairie’s state delegation – Sen. Steve Cwodzinski and Reps. Carlie Kotyza-Witthuhn and Alex Falconer, all Democrats – discussed the shooting and the broader issue of gun violence with EPLN by phone and email.

Cwodzinski, a former government teacher at Eden Prairie High School, joined other Democratic lawmakers at an Aug. 28 press conference at Minneapolis City Hall, where Mayor Jacob Frey called for a ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines.

As a former educator, Cwodzinski said he was called to attend the press conference to support Frey and other lawmakers calling for stricter gun regulation. 

“I don’t have the answers, but I can’t, as a legislator, look someone in the eyes and say I’ve done everything I can do, because I haven’t done everything I can do in my heart and my soul,” Cwodzinski said.

During his 31-year career at the high school, Cwodzinski said he knew the weight of facing an empty desk after a student’s death, or of telling his class about yet another shooting in the United States.

He recalled telling his students about the Red Lake school shooting in 2005.

“I wished I had had the foresight or hindsight to plant a hidden camera behind me when I had to come back and tell the class that we had another school shooting today, and the looks on their faces were just disbelief,” Cwodzinski said. “They just couldn’t believe the adults aren’t doing more to keep the kids safe.”

In an email to EPLN, Kotyza-Witthuhn said shootings are always a tragedy, especially given that gun violence is now the leading cause of death among children in the United States.

“Places we once thought to be sacred, safe, communal spaces like churches, schools, and homes are no longer,” Kotyza-Witthuhn said. 

Falconer said he feels overwhelmed with emotion after hearing about the shooting. 

“I feel so sad for the community, for the parents, not just the ones that tragically died, but for all the survivors that are going to have PTSD probably the rest of their lives and live in a country that does not support mental health to a real degree,” Falconer said. 

Kotyza-Witthuhn said Democratic lawmakers in Minnesota have made progress on gun regulations. In January 2024, the Legislature passed a red flag law allowing authorities to bar those at risk of harming themselves or others from possessing firearms. Lawmakers also funded school-based mental health programs.

She said, however, that this is not enough, citing the Clinton-era ban on assault weapons from 1994 to 2004. During the 10-year ban, mass shooting fatalities were 70% less likely compared with both before and after the ban.

“We have the data to know for certain that lives were saved while the ban was in effect,” Kotyza-Witthuhn said. “We can, and must, ban weapons of war in our communities and across the country. No other nation in the world experiences this level of devastation due to guns, while dealing with similar levels of mental health challenges.” 

Falconer said he did not see the solution to ending gun violence as complicated, saying weapons of war should be banned at the state and federal level.

He referenced Australia’s 1996 ban on assault weapons, which includes a mandatory gun buyback program, national firearm registry, a 28-day waiting period to purchase a gun, and a requirement for a genuine reason for ownership.

Australia has only had one mass shooting since the ban took effect in 1996, according to Stanford Law. 

On Aug. 29, Gov. Tim Walz posted on X calling for state action against gun violence, raising the possibility of a special legislative session. The Legislature is not scheduled to convene until February.

Cwodzinski recalled a conversation with a student after a school shooting several years ago. She told him she always looks for an exit during assemblies in the event of a shooting.

“I just remember listening to this high school kid who should be thinking about her driver’s license and prom and an assignment she’s behind on,” Cwodzinski said. “And here she is worried about being shot at school.”

As a parent, Falconer said he is scared to send his children to school. His kids feel a similar fear. 

“My child is scared to go to school,” Falconer said. “I’m scared to see my three kids go off the bus and hug them tight with the notion in my head that this could be the last time I hug my child.”

Kotyza-Witthuhn also said now is an important time to remind families about safe gun ownership in their homes. She said families should securely store firearms separate from ammunition and ask about safe storage before their children visit a friend’s home. 

As Eden Prairie Schools opened Tuesday for elementary, sixth- and ninth-grade students – and Wednesday for the rest – Kotyza-Witthuhn said gun violence is at the forefront of many people’s minds, especially for her as a parent.

“I also know that our educators, administrators and support staff will once again give their all to educate and protect our children,” Kotyza-Witthuhn said. “There are no magic words of reassurance in a time like this – all we can do is be kind to one another and give each other grace as we navigate this.”