Matthew DeBoer, principal of Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis and member of the Vincentian Lay Missionaries, described the Aug. 27 shooting during a back-to-school Mass, when a gunman fired over 100 rounds, killing two students and injuring 17. He praised teachers and children for their courage, affirming, “Love was greater than fear,” and urged action to end such violence.

On the morning of August 27, a back-to-school Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis turned into chaos when a gunman opened fire outside the building. More than one hundred rifle rounds ripped through the stained glass and echoed across the pews where children, parents, and teachers had gathered.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, Annunciation Catholic School Principal Matthew DeBoer has struggled to find words, but he insists the story must be told. In a letter recounting the day, DeBoer, who is also a member of the Vincentian Lay Missionaries, described what happened inside the church as bullets shattered windows and terror swept the sanctuary.

“Within seconds,” he wrote, “our teachers moved students under the pews to protect them. Older students helped younger ones, wrapping their arms around them. Children held each other in fear.”

The shooter’s attack left two students dead—eight-year-old Fletcher Merkel and ten-year-old Harper Moyski. Seventeen others, many of them children, were injured. Some were released from hospitals quickly; others continue to recover from serious wounds.

DeBoer said the moments felt endless. Yet amid the chaos, he saw extraordinary courage. “Love was greater than fear,” he reflected. “God was greater than evil in these minutes that felt like an eternity.”

He praised the quick, selfless actions of teachers who shielded students with their own bodies, and the calm bravery of older children who protected their younger classmates. Even in the shadow of gunfire, he insisted, the community embodied the values of faith and compassion that Annunciation has always taught.

Still, DeBoer’s letter was not only about survival—it was also a call to action. He urged communities, lawmakers, and faith leaders to treat the right to live as more important than the right to possess the weapons that brought such destruction. “When you pray, move your feet,” he reminded his readers, calling on people of faith to let belief become action.

The tragedy at Annunciation Catholic School now stands as one of the most devastating episodes of violence in Minnesota in recent years. For DeBoer, though, it will always be remembered not just for the lives lost, but for the witness of those who chose love in the face of terror.

“Nobody should ever have to go through this again,” he wrote. “And together, we must make sure they don’t.”