>> Cathy: NICE!

[ Applause ] ♪♪ >> ERIC: LAWMAKERS AT THE CAPITOL ARE LOOKING FOR SOLUTIONS TO GUN VIOLENCE AND SCHOOL SAFETY IN OUR STATE.

THE ISSUES ARE EMOTIONAL AND THE POLITICS ARE DIFFICULT.

AS MARY LAHAMMER REPORTS, GUN CONTROL IS ONE OF THE MAIN ISSUES GOVERNOR WALZ IS TALKING ABOUT NOW THAT HE IS OFFICIALLY RUNNING FOR RE-ELECTION.

>> WE'VE SEEN TERRIBLE TIMES THIS YEAR.

I'M HEARTBROKEN AND ANGRY ABOUT THE BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE WE LOST TO GUN VIOLENCE.

>> Mary: GUN VIOLENCE WAS FRONT AND CENTER IN GOVERNOR WALZ ANNOUNCING AN ATTEMPT T AN UNPRECEDENTED THIRD TERM.

THE DEMOCRAT HAS REPUBLICAN CHALLENGERS, BUT D.C.

IS WHAT HE MENTIONED.

>> AND I'LL NEVER STOP FIGHTING TO PROTECT US FROM THE CHAOS, CORRUPTION AND CRUELTY COMING OUT OF WASHINGTON.

>> Mary: THIS AFTER PRESIDENT TRUMP SAID WALZ NEVER ASKED HIM TO LOWER FLAGS FOR THE ELECTED OFFICIAL ASSASSINATED HERE.

>> I'M NOT FAMILIAR, THE WHO -- >> THE MINNESOTA HOUSE SPEAKER, A DEMOCRAT, WHO WAS ASSASSINATED THIS SUMMER.

>> Mary: THE ISSUE OF GUN VIOLENCE AND SCHOOL SAFETY BROUGHT BIG CROWDS TO THE CAPITOL.

>> WE'RE HERE BECAUSE OF ANOTHER FIREARM TRAGEDY IN MINNESOTA.

IT'S BEEN A TOUGH SUMMER.

>> Mary: THE MOST MEMORABLE AND MOVING MOMENTS OF THE DAYS OF HEARINGS ON GUN VIOLENCE AT THE CAPITOL CAME FROM THE PARENTS OF ANNUNCIATION WHO SHARED THEIR VERY RAW ANGER AND PAIN.

>> I WOULD DO ANYTHING TO SAVE MY CHILD'S LIFE.

WOULDN'T YOU DO THE SAME FOR YOURS?

IF THERE WAS A PERSON SHOOTING INTO A CROWDED ROOM WHERE YOUR CHILD WAS INNOCENTLY SITTING, HOW CAN YOU BE COMFORTABLE WITH THE SHOOTER HAVING EASY ACCESS TO LEGALLY BUY AN AR-15 CAPABLE OF FIRING FF MORE THAN 100 BULLETS A MINUTE?

>> MY HUSBAND AND I HEARD GUNSHOTS FROM OUR KITCHEN.

MY HUSBAND KNEW IMMEDIATELY WHAT THEY WERE.

I DIDN'T WANT TO BELIEVE IT.

NOT HERE.

NOT IN OUR ENABLED.

NOT IN UR NEIGHBORHOOD.

BUT THEN THE SECOND ROUND OF SHOTS ANG SHOT, AND MY HUSBAND SAID, THOSE SHOTS CAME FROM THE SCHOOL.

I RAN.

I RAN TOWARD THE SCHOOL.

MY HEART POUNDED IN THE PIT OF MY STOMACH.

MY MIND WAS FLOODED WITH IMAGES OF MY CHILDREN SHOT AND LYING DEAD IN THEIR OWN POOL OF BLOOD.

I EXPERIENCED A LEVEL OF FEAR AND HORROR I NEVER KNEW EXISTED.

>> Mary: PARENTS DEMANDED LAWMAKERS BAN ASSAULT RIFLES AND HIGH-CAPACITY MAG DISEENS.

>> WHAT YOU NEED TO DO IS TO LOOK INTO THE EYES OF MY 7-YEAR-OLD AT NIGHT, AND SHE LOOKS AT ME AND TELLS ME SHE CAN'T GO TO SLEEP BECAUSE SHE'S AFRAID THERE'S A HOOTER IN THE HOUSE.

MAG SCENES.

-- MAGAZINES.

THIS IS OUR FAMILY'S NEW REALITY.

AND THIS IS THE REALITY THAT SO MANY OF THE FAMILIES IN OUR ANNUNCIATION COMMUNITY ARE SUFFERING.

>> Mary: MOMS SAY THEY WON'T GO AWAY.

>> THE MOTHERS, WE WILL KEEP COMING!

WE WILL KEEP SPEAKING!

UNTIL OUR CHILDREN ARE SAFE!

AND UNTIL THEY CAN REST THEIR HEADS SAFELY AT NIGHT.

>> DAVID WAS SHOT AT THE FIRST SCHOOL MASS OF THE YEAR.

HIS SPLEEN WAS LACERATED.

SHRAPNEL SCATTERED THROUGH HIS LEFT SIDE.

BULLETS GRAZED THE BACK OF HIS HEAD.

>> SHE HAS MULTIPLE BULLET FRAGMENTS LODGED IN HER HEAD WHICH WILL MOST LIKELY BE THERE FOR THE REST OF HER LIFE.

LITERALLY PRAYING, LITERALLY PRAYING NEXT TO ONE OF HER BEST FRIENDS WHO WAS MURDERED.

IN COLD BLOOD Y THIS MONSTER.

>> AS A MOM, DID SEEING AND HEARING THOSE MOMS HAVE AN IMPACT?

>> IT WAS EXTREMELY IMPACTFUL.

I HAD TEARS.

I THINK A STAFF PERSON WAS KIND ENOUGH TO BRING ME TISSUES.

IT WAS HEART WRENCHING TO LISTEN TO THEIR STORIES, ABSOLUTELY.

>> Mary: ON THOSE ASSAULT WEAPON BANS, ANYTHING -- HAVE YOU MOVED ON THAT AT ALL?

>> NO.

I HAVEN'T SPOKEN WITH THOSE PARENTS.

THEY HAVEN'T MET WITH THEM.

THEY DON'T CARE TO.

>> Mary: DOCTORS DETAILED WHAT ALL THE BULLETS DID TO SO MANY SMALL BODIES.

>> I EVALUATE EVERY SINGLE CHILD THAT CAME THROUGH OUR OPERATING ROOM THAT DAY AS THEY CAME BY THE DESK.

I'M HAUNTED BY THE LOOKS IN THEIR EYES.

THE LOOKS OF HORROR AS IF THEIR SENSE OF SAFETY AND CHILDHOOD HAD JUST BEEN SNUFFED OUT IN SECONDS.

>> ASSAULT RIFLES TURN SURVIVABLE INJURIES INTO FATAL ONES.

THEY TURN SMALL TRAGEDIES INTO MASS TRAGEDIES.

>> Mary: THE FAITH COMMUNITY ALSO APPEARED TOGETHER.

>> THE MINNESOTA CATHOLIC CONFERENCE SUPPORTS A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO PROTECTING INNOCENT LIVES FROM THE PLAGUE OF GUN VIOLENCE.

>> Mary: GUN RIGHTS ADVOCATES SAY GUN CONTROL DOESN'T WORK AND THEY WANT AN EMPHASIS ON MORE MENTAL HEALTH.

>> THERE'S NO BACKGROUND CHECK THAT CAN DETECT SOMEBODY'S INTERNAL CRISIS.

>> EVIL IS REAL.

EVIL IS COMMITTED TO VIOLENCE.

EVIL TARGETS OUR CHILDREN AND INNOCENT MEN AND WOMEN ACROSS THE STATE AND ACROSS THE COUNTRY.

>> YOU KNOW, WE TALKED ABOUT DIFFERENT TYPES OF SOLUTIONS HERE.

I WILL START OUT WITH, ARMED POLICE OFFICERS IN THE SCHOOL.

I KNOW THAT'S REPREHENSIBLE TO SOME PEOPLE, AND I KNOW -- I WISH WE WEREN'T AT THAT STATE.

>> I KNOW THIS WORKING GROUP IS TARGETED TOWARDS THE GUN VIOLENCE.

IN MY PERSPECTIVE, IT'S ABOUT HOW DO WE PROTECT OUR CHILDREN?

>> Mary: PARTISAN LINES ARE APPEARING.

>> HOW MANY CHILDREN HAVE TO DIE BEFORE WE TAKE ACTION?

>> I AM ANGRY.

I AM OUTRAGED.

THIS HAS BEEN A SUMMER OF DEVASTATION.

DEVASTATION THAT VISITED US, THAT VISITED OUR COLLEAGUES.

>> THE GRAVITY OF THE HARM AND THE INJURIES TO THESE CHILDREN WERE CLEARLY THE RESULT OF BEING ABLE TO REEL OFF A TON OF BULLETS IN A VERY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME.

>> THINGS HAVE CHANGED.

AND I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANY MORE THIS OR THAT, IT'S THIS AND THAT.

IT'S MENTAL HEALTH AND IT IS COMMON-SENSE GUN LAWS.

IT'S BOTH THESE THINGS.

♪♪