Bulwark Takes – BREAKING: Two Children Killed in Minneapolis School Shooting

Date: August 27, 2025
Host/Speaker: Sam Stein (Managing Editor, The Bulwark)
Notable Contributions: Unnamed Bulwark team member(s)
Duration Covered: 00:45-09:00

Episode Overview

This urgent episode of Bulwark Takes covers the devastating school shooting on the first day back at Annunciation Church’s Pre K-8th grade in South Minneapolis. Host Sam Stein delivers a raw, emotionally charged account of the events, the broader tragedy school shootings represent in America, and the profound pain experienced by families and the larger community.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. The Shooting: Facts and Details

• Time and Place: Early morning, Annunciation Church, South Minneapolis; Pre K–8 school, first day back after summer (00:45).
• Casualties:
  • Two children (ages 8 and 10) killed
  • 17 injured (14 children), some with critical, life-threatening injuries (01:25).
• Shooter:
  • Male, early 20s, armed with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol.
  • Shot through church windows; did not enter the building (01:50).
  • Put a 2x4 against the door to prevent escape (02:20).
  • Shooter dead at the scene.
• Impact:
  • Immediate panic among parents rushing to the scene, desperate for news about their children (03:20).
  • Hospitals had to improvise as victims arrived in waves.

2. Personal Reflections and Context

• Emotional Response: Stein reflects on his own children being back at school, drawing a personal connection to the fear and anxiety faced by parents.
  • "I have a kid who's 8, I have a kid who's 5... I can't even fathom how hard that must have been in that moment." (03:50)
• Personal History:
  • Stein discusses living near Newtown, CT, recalling Sandy Hook and conversations with Senator Chris Murphy and Parkland parent Fred Guttenberg about confronting loss and trauma (04:20-05:45).
  • Highlights the emotionally impossible burden on parents and survivors.

3. Societal and Political Considerations

• Cycle of Tragedy:
  • America’s routine with school shootings, noting how numb and normalized these tragedies have become (07:49, 08:30).
  • Frustration with the lack of legislative and societal response, even after major tragedies like Sandy Hook.
  • "No other society would tolerate this. I don't know how we've come to tolerate it..." – Sam Stein (07:49)
• Debate on Guns:
  • Critiques polarizing responses—calls for further arming schools vs. demands for removing guns.
  • Argues any real solution must address gun access directly (06:15).
  • "Any conversation that doesn’t include the need to somehow get firearms away from these fucking nut jobs is not a real conversation." – Sam Stein (06:30)
• Community Response:
  • Cites Mayor Jacob Frey's remarks, noting that “thoughts and prayers” feel hollow:
    • "They were literally praying when they were shot." (06:55)
  • Amplifies the need for genuine action over platitudes.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Personal Resonance:

  "They should be able to go to school or church in peace without the fear or risk of violence."
  — Unnamed Bulwark contributor (07:11)

• On National Apathy:

  "If the killing of those kids in Sandy Hook couldn't prompt our country to do anything about guns, and it didn't, then the debate was essentially over."
  — Sam Stein (07:49)

• Routine Tragedy:

  "The thing that really has bothered me is how routine it now feels... you know exactly how little will be done legislatively to try to fix this."
  — Sam Stein (08:30)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [00:45] – Sam Stein introduces the tragic event and its basic facts.
• [01:25] – Details on casualties and hospital impact.
• [01:50 - 02:20] – Shooter’s method and preparation.
• [03:20] – Parental panic and immediate aftermath.
• [03:50 - 05:45] – Personal reflection and stories of Newtown and Parkland.
• [06:15 - 06:30] – Discussion on national political and gun control debates.
• [06:55] – Mayor Frey's remarks on "thoughts and prayers."
• [07:11] – Bulwark team reflection on the broader impact on families and children.
• [07:49 - 08:30] – Reflection on American society’s numbness and legislative inaction.

Tone and Takeaway

The episode’s tone is somber, urgent, and personally affected. Stein and the Bulwark contributors express not just reporting of facts, but a deep frustration, anger, and sadness over the seemingly unending cycle of school shootings and America’s inability to break it. Above all, the message is that meaningful change is desperately needed—and until then, communities, parents, and children continue to pay the price.

"I've been on TV several times now... where something overnight has happened with regards to a mass shooting... And I think the thing that strikes me... is how routine it now feels."
— Sam Stein (08:30)

For listeners:
This episode is an incisive, emotional, and deeply human exploration of an American tragedy—meant not only to inform but also to agitate for a conversation that moves beyond thoughts, prayers, and routine.