The American Jewish Congress is heartbroken by the horrific attack at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, where two children, just 8 and 10 years old, were murdered and seventeen others, most of them children, were injured. We extend our deepest condolences to the families of the victims, pray for the recovery of the wounded, and stand in solidarity with the Catholic community shattered by this unspeakable violence.
The FBI is rightly investigating the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime directed against Catholics. As Jews, we know too well the pain of being targeted by hatred in our houses of worship, and today we stand shoulder to shoulder with our Catholic brothers and sisters in grief and resolve.
The assailant’s weapons were defaced with an array of hateful slogans and references targeting multiple communities, including Christian, Jewish, Black, Muslim, Hispanic, and others. According to reports, among them were antisemitic messages such as “Burn Israel” and the chilling phrase “6 million wasn’t enough,” mocking the murder of six million Jews in the Holocaust.
We call on leaders at every level to confront extremism and all forms of hatred with urgency. In moments like these, we must meet this evil with unity, courage, and action. No family, no child, and no house of worship should ever be left vulnerable to such hatred again. The American Jewish Congress will continue to monitor the situation closely and provide updates as more information emerges.
(Photo Credit: “Annunciation School Shooting in Minneapolis” by Chad Davis, CC BY 4.0)
