Good afternoon everyone. Um I want to thank everybody for being here, uh especially the incredible uh advocates, council members, community members, people that have been tirelessly advocating for common-sense gun reform for years. Their advocacy has been tireless. Their work uh it does in fact make a difference. Um and today we will be signing very important gun reform legislation at the local level. Um the concept of gun violence, it is not abstract, it's not theoretical. It has a real impact on families in our city, and because it impacts the people that we represent, our family members that we care deeply about, we at the city level should have the ability to act affirmatively to prevent these kinds of unnecessary deaths from happening in the future. It's been 259 days since the tragic shooting at Annunciation. It's been 259 days since 28 students were injured, uh two children in Harper Moiseky and Fletcher Merkel were tragically killed. Uh and in the meantime, these people behind me and thousands more throughout our state have been working to get the necessary legislation that allows us to prevent that kind of thing from happening again. And so we need to be doing everything possible in Minneapolis, because here's the thing, it's not abstract, it's not theoretical. We represent the mom and the dad that hear gunshots right out on the sidewalk, and they worry where their kids are. We represent those children that have to learn how to duck and cover and blockade themselves inside a classroom before learning algebra. We represent the people that are still grieving because of losses of their family members that have been tragically shot. And it's on us to act affirmatively. I want to thank every single council member, all 13. It was a unanimous vote that passed this really important legislation that is among the nation-leading pieces of legislation in the entire country. I specifically want to thank council member Aurin Chowdhury, who is a leader and the author of it. This is going to set us up so that if preemption is lifted, Minneapolis won't need to act because we already did. >> [snorts] >> What it does is it bans some forms of semi-automatic weapons. What it does is it bans high-capacity magazines. What it does is creates additional safety requirements so that gun storage can be done safely and it'll ultimately save lives. So, you know, I said back 259 days ago that thoughts and prayers aren't enough. Uh they're still not enough today. Uh to this point, nothing has happened to change the dynamic and to prevent this horrible tragedy from happening again. The work has not yet been done at the legislature. And so, we are calling on the GOP members in the house not to think in a partisan way, but to think about people. Think about families. Think about kids that have tragically lost their lives and the many more lives that will be lost if we do not act now. We're not talking about your father's hunting rifle. We're talking about the ability to reel off 20 and 30 bullets before you have to reload. We're talking about high-capacity magazines and guns that were quite literally built to kill people in large numbers. There's no reason to have those on our streets. And what the council members today are declaring is that in Minneapolis, we're going to do everything possible to keep those guns off our streets. Again, a big thank you to the advocates for your tireless work. We still have more work to do at the state level, uh, and I want to hand it off to the author of this ordinance who deserves a whole lot of credit in making it happen. Council member Oren Shaddor. >> [applause] >> Thank you so much, Mr. Mayor, for your signature today and your support. Thank you to every single one of my council colleagues for their support. And of course, thank you to every single family, every single advocate, every single person who's been impacted by gun violence, who has been calling for gun reform, gun control for years and years and years. I'll never forget the day that I felt like I had my American right of passage. It was years ago when I was a young, uh, early 20-something woman on New Year's Eve. I was excited about going out with my friends and shopping for a dress, a real normal thing to do, um, at the mall. And while I'm shopping, all of a sudden, gunshots ring out. Gunshots ring out and I'm like, "Wow, it really is my turn. It really is my American right of passage." People start screaming, people start running, the store goes into lockdown, and everything goes in slow motion, and I pick up my phone to call my mom, and I tell her, "Hey, why don't you grab a seat?" And I tell her what's happening. There's an active shooter situation, and I'll never forget the way that her voice changed in that call. Last August, several council colleagues, the mayor, many in our city went to the scene of the shooting at Annunciation School and church, just one day after a mass shooting outside of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. It was absolutely unthinkable. It was absolutely horrific watching parents standing at the perimeter waiting to figure out what's next, first responders flying in, nobody knowing the toll that had just been taken on our city. The era of mass shootings needs to come to an end. We can't just keep on sitting on our hands and expecting things to change through thoughts and prayers. And that's why as Minneapolis, we passed the Safe Firearms Act. It makes sense. We shouldn't have weapons of war in our neighborhoods. >> [snorts] >> Banning assault weapons, large capacity magazines, binary triggers that double the lethality of a gun, ghost guns that are untraceable at crime scenes, and circumvent background checks, this is common sense. We are requiring things like safe storage because you shouldn't be leaving a gun unsecured. And on all of these things, we are pushing our state legislature. We are saying, "Give us the authority. Let us be nimble. Lift Lift that preemption." Or otherwise, pass gun reform yourself. Because at the heart of it, that's simply what what it is. It's It's We can't wait for this leadership anymore. We can't wait any longer. This is about reducing and preventing gun violence because the cost of gun violence to our city is far too high. The cost of gun violence on a parent who has lost their child and will never see them again is even higher. The cost to the average resident in the city of Minneapolis who is just trying to live their day, but has in the back of their mind a thought that a single violent moment can change everything forever is way too high of a price, and we don't accept it as the city of Minneapolis. Not at all. And so together, we stood united in grief, but today we stand united in action and we are saying to the House GOP, it's time for you to pass this and at least have the courage to let the members vote on it so we can see the record. I am so proud that we are here today and there's still a long road to go. And that is why we have amazing advocates across the state of Minnesota that are leading in this work and will continue to lead up on this work after today. And that's why I'm in proud to introduce the executive director of Protect Minnesota, Maggie Emmer. Protect Minnesota is a statewide organization with a mission to prevent gun violence through engagement, advocacy, and community-led solutions. Maggie Emmer. >> [applause] >> Good afternoon. My name is Maggie Emmer and I'm proud to be here on behalf of Protect Minnesota, where we've spent more than 35 years working to prevent gun violence and build safer communities across our state. In all those years, one thing has remained true. Progress only happens when courageous leaders are willing to act. That's exactly what Minneapolis is doing today and what the House of Representatives is failing to do as we speak. This ordinance is about saving lives. It's about responding with real action to the horrific tragedies perpetrated by guns that we've seen in our communities. It's recognizing what factors make violence more deadly and more devastating. And it's about having the courage to implement evidence-based solutions anyway, even when doing so is politically difficult. At Protect Minnesota, we work alongside survivors, healthcare professionals, faith leaders, educators, gun owners, community organizations, and elected officials for decades because we know this issue touches every corner of our state and Minnesotans who come from every background. As we well know, gun violence is not now and should not ever be a partisan issue. It is a public safety issue. It is a public health issue. And Minnesotans of every background are demanding action. What makes today especially meaningful is that this ordinance reflects the kind of coalition building and persistence that real change requires. Policies like these don't happen overnight. They happen because communities organize, because survivors show up over and over past the point of what should ever be asked of them, and because people who care refuse to give up. And because leaders listened, because cities like Minneapolis are willing to be courageous and lead the way forward. It should not take have taken 35 years of horrific tragedy for real change on this issue. I hope and I work so that it doesn't take 35 more. But right now, at a time when so many people feel powerless in the face of violence, today sends a different message. That action is possible. That progress is possible. And that lives can be changed when our leaders choose courage over complacency. Thank you to the city leaders, to the advocates, survivors, and community members who made this day possible. Protect Minnesota is proud to stand with you today and will keep fighting alongside you tomorrow. And with that, it is my honor and privilege to introduce our partner in this work for many, many years, Aliyah Khan of Minneapolis Moms Demand Action. >> [applause] >> Last time I was here with Mayor Frey was August 28th, the day after the Annunciation shooting. Two days prior, seven people were shot near Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. Shortly thereafter, I attended another press conference that the mayor did with other mayors at our state capitol. And if I'm not mistaken, he also testified before the Gun Violence Prevention Working Group in September at the Minnesota Senate building asking our state senators to take action on this issue. And if they were unable or unwilling to do so, that they lift preemption so municipalities could do everything in their power to keep their residents safe. So, here we are taking a baby step toward harm reduction following in the footsteps of St. Paul and Edina. And I'm not trying to minimize this ordinance, any step forward is a step in the right direction. In fact, I would like to thank the mayor and city council for their leadership. It looks positively heroic when compared with the speaker of the Minnesota House, who has the audacity to seek a promotion while going back on a promise to a grieving mother and refusing to do her current job by following the rules and bringing the Gun Violence Prevention Bill passed by the Minnesota Senate to the House floor for a vote. In closing, I would like to encourage the other mayors who joined that press conference last fall, Stillwater, Columbia Heights, Minnetonka, to name a few, to work with their city councils to enact similar ordinances so we are ready if or when the state lifts preemption. Now, it's my privilege to introduce Kristen Neville from Annunciation Light Alliance. >> [applause] [applause] >> Thank you, Mayor Frey, council members. It has been 8 months, 2 weeks, and 2 days since August 27th, 2025. The day our world shattered. The day we lost two incredible children, Harper Moyski and Fletcher Merkel. For Annunciation families, that day will never fully be behind us. We will carry it with us every single day. For every family impacted by gun violence, healing is not a fixed point in time. It is something we live with every day. There is no version of normal after something like this, only a new way of carrying it. People see the vigils, the headlines, the anniversaries. What they don't see is the anxiety when your children walk into school. The fear that follows ordinary moments, a playground, a movie theater, a community event. And the grief and trauma that remain long after the cameras leave. That is why this conversation cannot end when the headlines fade. And why it it and it is why action, meaningful, responsible action matters. And yet across Minnesota and across this country, families continue to live with the consequences of gun violence, while too many meaningful solutions remain delayed or debated. For me, and like many of us, taking meaningful action is a part of healing. Honoring the children, educators, and families impacted by gun violence means choosing courage, responsibility, and prevention before another family is forced into reality. Today is a reminder that behind every policy discussion, families are still living with consequential consequences of inaction. But it is also a reminder that communities can lead, and that our state leaders still have both the opportunity and responsibility to act. We are grateful for the city of Minneapolis, Mayor Frey, and city council for moving their feet, for choosing to act and for recognizing the urgency families like ours feel every day. At the end of the day, this should not be controversial. Kids should be safe. Families should not have to live in fear and communities should not have to wait for tragedy before action is taken. Today is a reminder that leadership matters, prevention matters and protecting children must always come first. Because no family should have to become part of this conversation to understand why it matters. Thank you. And now I'll turn it over to Mayor Frey for signing of the ordinance. Yeah, before we do so and I'll open it to a couple questions, I wanted to recognize the council members that are here with us and council member Stevenson, uh council member Jason Chavez, our commissioner Todd Barnett, council member Lenae Palmisano, council member Jeremiah Watting, council member Orien Chaudhary, council member Pearl Warren, council council member council president Elliot Payne, council member Elizabeth Scheffer. Uh we really appreciate all of their work and their presence here right now. Thank you. >> [applause] >> Uh with that we'll answer a few questions before we sign. Any? All right. It works great. All right, guys. Get it. Everybody get it. Come on. >> All right. Thank you. Thank you for [snorts] your advocacy. We're not going to quit. The lives that have been lost We've got to do the necessary work right now. So, let's keep fighting. We're ultimately going to get this done for the sake of our kids. And with that, GOD. >> [applause] [applause] >> YOU OKAY, BUDDY?