Minnesota Catholic Leaders Warned Governor Walz Before School Shooting
In a resurfaced letter to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the head of the Minnesota Catholic Conference expressed severe concerns about the security of nonpublic schools, stating they were in ‘urgent and critical need’ of improvements. The letter, dated April 14, 2023, was part of a broader effort by Catholic and other nonpublic school leaders to highlight the vulnerability of their institutions to attacks, particularly following a recent mass shooting at Covenant Christian School in Nashville.
Despite the leaders’ urgent pleas, their concerns were not addressed in time. Two years later, the dire warnings materialized when a gunman opened fire at a Minneapolis Catholic school during a Mass, resulting in two fatalities and 17 injuries. The tragedy has reignited debates about the state’s approach to school safety, particularly the exclusion of nonpublic schools from key funding programs.
The letter, initially reported by the Daily Wire, was sent by Jason Adkins, the Minnesota Catholic Conference Executive Director, and Tim Benz, president of MINNDEPENDENT. The leaders emphasized that nonpublic schools, including Jewish and Muslim institutions, faced heightened threats and that the latest attacks in the U.S. underscored the need for immediate action. They called for inclusion of nonpublic schools in state funding programs like the $50 million Building and Cyber Security Grant Program and the Safe Schools Program, which provide essential security and emergency response resources.
However, state guidelines for the Safe Schools Program indicate that private schools are not eligible for the funding, as it is based on a school’s tax levy. Despite this, a spokesperson for Walz’s office stated that private schools do receive state funding and are eligible for school safety resources. Nevertheless, the tragic shooting has sparked renewed calls for legislative action, including the SHIELD bill, which aims to increase school security funding but excludes nonpublic schools from its provisions.
In a recent statement, FBI Director Kash Patel described the Minneapolis shooting as a ‘barbaric’ act of domestic terrorism, citing the shooter’s anti-religious and anti-Catholic references in his manifesto. The incident has intensified the debate over how best to ensure the safety of all students and the role of state policy in preventing such attacks.