Standing Together After the Annunciation Catholic School Shooting in Minneapolis

Our Minneapolis community is grieving after the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School. As a family-owned restaurant and as neighbors, our hearts are broken. We cannot begin to imagine the pain of the families who lost their children, the students who witnessed this tragedy, and the teachers and parish members who are carrying this unimaginable burden.

In our faith, when someone passes away, we say “Inna lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji’un” which means surely we belong to God and to Him we return. These words remind us that life is precious and fleeting, and that those who leave us return to the mercy of God. Today we say this prayer for the children whose lives were taken too soon, for the families in mourning, and for the community of Annunciation Catholic School that is forever changed.

This tragedy is not only about one school or one neighborhood. It is a wound on our entire city. We must come together across faiths and backgrounds to comfort one another and to hold space for the grief that so many are carrying. Our thoughts, prayers, and love are with every family, every student, and every person affected.

As a Minneapolis community, we share one responsibility: to do better, to love harder, and to ensure that our children and families can feel safe in places of worship, in classrooms, and in their everyday lives.

May the victims rest in peace, may their families find strength, and may our community heal together.

Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. 08/27/25