City Council - Regular Meeting

remotely that may want to testify. We may not have time. I think if um we would have given you advanced notification that it was going to be 2 minutes and not 3 minutes, we could have gotten more testimony in. But we're going to try to be mindful of the time that we allocated here, two and a half hours. Um so for those watching in, uh there'll be other ways to submit testimony and we'll talk about that as we go along here. uh we're going to accept that testimony up to uh uh end of business or end of end of midnight I guess on on Sunday uh January 11th. So keep that in mind as we as we discuss this. So uh having provided information about doing all these meetings on a hybrid basis and typically what would happen is at city council here we'd say okay you can testify about anything that's not on the agenda tonight or scheduled for a future public hearing. But we've only got one matter on the agenda this evening, and that's a discussion of this uh potential implementation of a what I'll call a conditional gun ordinance uh that would take effect uh if the state decided to do away with preeemption uh of cities being able to control the sale of guns and ammunition. So, let's uh call the meeting to order. I'm going to ask our clerk, Sharon Allison, to call the role, and then we're going to take the pledge of allegiance, and then we'll get into the heart of the meeting. Thank you. Council member Agnu

here. Council member Jackson here. Council member Pierce here. Council member Risser here. Mayor Hublin here. Uh next is the pledge of allegiance. Algiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands. One nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. We have a form of meeting agenda for the meeting this evening. As I mentioned, there's one main topic of of uh of the meeting. Is there a motion to adopt a meeting agenda? So moved. I second.

Jackson moves. M Ragnu seconds the adoption of the meeting agenda for this meeting on January 6, 2026. Any further discussion? All those in favor of adoption of the meeting agenda is published say I.

I. Opposed. Carried. The meeting agenda is adopted. Uh as I mentioned earlier, we have one meeting topic this evening and I want to again thank everybody for uh being here to discuss this very serious topic of gun violence and the potential passage by this council of a conditional local gun regulating ordinance. First I want to talk about a process matter and that is as director Benerrod has mentioned if you desire to speak this evening please make sure that you fill out a card. We're not going to ask you for your address like we used to do in the past. I think for security reasons just give us your name. Make sure you give that card to the uh communications director, Director Benerro. And then if you want to use a projector in the middle or you have some kind of another another presentation you want to use that's an electronic form or thumb drive form, let us know that and we'll get you a wireless microphone. Um I'll hearken back to uh what happened uh locally here with uh at Annunciation Church. You know, our local our council members have a strong and common sentiment in the aftermath of that gun violence at Enunciation Church regarding being supportive of those families, those students and those school officials affected for a lifetime by the rage of a single person. We have also determined that our empathy and our shared grief are not enough and that some form of action on the issue of curtailing gun violence is important. Recognition of the challenge of doing something about gun violence has existed since Coline in Colorado now years ago to enunciation in our metropolitan area just a few short months ago and most recently at Brown University and Kentucky State University in December. Few cities, states or our own federal government have been moved to action due both to uh the differing of views of people on the issue of of guns and their regulation uh the causes of gun violence and in addition to the challenges of existing law both statutory and constitutional on both a state and federal basis. This council has asked our city attorney to craft a potential

ordinance that does not run a foul of the existing state law in Minnesota, which preempts cities from regulation of firearms and ammunition. Our city attorney has responded to that request, creating a proposed form of ordinance that is contingent in its implementation upon our council passing a resolution should the legislature ever choose to overturn the ban on cities regulating the sale of certain types of firearms and ammunition. I'm going to turn now to our city attorney Dave Kendall to uh give us a little bit of background on the work that he did and the research that he did and the modeling that he undertook for purposes of creating our ordinance uh and talk about a couple other things that are legal related as well. Mr. Kendall.

Uh thank you mayor. I think [clears throat] first of all we need to start with the preeemption issue which uh I think the council is aware is Minnesota statute 471.633. It does say the legislature preempts all authority of cities to regulate firearms, ammunition, and their components to the complete exclusion of any ordinance uh passed by that city. There's one exception to that, and that is regulation of discharge of firearms within the city. So, here we have it up on the screen. Uh the one exception is listed under A there, which is cities are allowed to regulate the discharge of firearms within their cities and Edina does that. that's in place. Discharge of firearms in Adina is illegal under city ordinance. Uh beyond that, you see the [clears throat] last sentence of the state statute there. Local local regulation inconsistent with this section is void. So the statute is um very clear and preempts the field. There's really no wiggle room for cities to take action under this statute. the the power to regulate firearms rests entirely with the state of Minnesota and not with cities. Now, with that, the city of St. Paul has crafted an ordinance that says it will not be effective unless and until this statute up on the screen here is repealed or state statutes are passed that are substantially similar to that St. Paul ordinance. And at your request, I've drafted a similar draft ordinance for the city of Adina. It's modeled off that St. Paul ordinance. It [clears throat] regulates the types of firearms that might be used in a mass shooting or attempted mass shooting like the one that happened in Annunciation, meaning uh semi-automatic weapons, um binary triggers which increase rate of fire, large capacity magazines, things of that nature. So, the St. Paul ordinance is

designed to signal what St. Paul would regulate if and when the state ever allowed that regulation to occur. The Adina ordinance is designed to do the same thing. Signal to the community and the legislature what the city of Adina would regulate if and when the city of Adina were ever allowed to regulate. Um there two ordinances are very similar. The main difference is a slight variation on the effective date. The effective date has already been the subject of a lot of the litigation between the city of St. Paul and the gun owners caucus. Um there's an argument that that effective date by the city of St. Paul is not clear enough and there's arguments both ways. I've tried to just clarify that a little further by putting in this Edina ordinance that it would not be effective until the city of Adina passed a resolution indicating that. And the purpose of that is if this statute in front of us is partially repealed or if some portion of the ordinance is becomes partially enforcable, the city of Adina can pass a resolution signaling exactly what that enforcibility would be and what it would not be and there would be no confusion on the part of residents or the police department or anyone else that any portion of it would be enforceable until that time. So, we tried to address the effective date question with that solution. Um, beyond that, the proposed Edina ordinance is similar in most ways to the St. Paul ordinance. That's currently the subject of litigation. Um, you know, we're watching the progress on that to see how it turns out and that'll be instructive obviously. Um so if that litigation indicates that an ordinance like this um can survive then the city of Vina could follow suit and pass a similar ordinance and that would also survive or if the

litigation indicates that some portion of it or all of it um is struck down we can use that as instructive as well. So that's the approach that we've taken. [clears throat] Um, I hope that is clear and makes sense and I'm happy to stand for any questions. Questions for Mr. Kendall at this point in time.

All right. you know, we we uh had him craft an ordinance that we discussed uh I think there's been a slight modification of it since the time we discussed it in November, but when we discussed the passage of the proposed ordinance uh at our second meeting in November, I think it was in the course of that conversation about that ordinance, I think it was member Pierce that suggested that we should be thinking pretty hard about a fundamental concept of democracy and that is that all voices matter and all voices deserve an opportunity opportunity to be heard before a decision is made by this council to potentially adopt on a contingent basis what we've labeled a firearm safety and safe storage ordinance. The decision then to hold a townhouse style public hearing uh was met with mixed emotions when we made that decision by some of the supporters of our city passing a proposed ordinance at that November meeting and and they've told us so and we understand well the emotion around this issue but following fundamental principles of democracy sometimes requires a more deliberative process and that's what this council preferred to do. And so here we are tonight ready to listen carefully and thoughtfully to all who care to express their thoughts and guidance on this proposed form of contingent ordinance. We'll take testimony this evening by as director Benerro mentioned by observing the three-minute rule so everyone has an equal opportunity to speak. No one will be allowed to speak over three minutes and you don't have to take the full 3 minutes if you don't want to. We should seek to avoid redundancy if possible. So, if someone who speaks before you says what you wanted to say, think about whether you need to speak at all or whether you can abbreviate your comments and take less than 3 minutes. Um, you should also know that all forms of testimony are being considered equally, whether they've called in testimony uh to the city hall or they've sent something in on better together.org. If you've left your comments online already, you don't have to speak tonight unless you feel compelled to do so. We will do something else that we've done in the past when we've had issues of import for residents to address. And

that is I'm I'm thinking about lining people up on both sides of the chambers. On on to my left, I think we'd line up people that were in favor of us passing this proposed contingent ordinance. On uh to my right, I think we would line up people that uh are opposed to us uh doing such an ordinance or passing such an ordinance. and then we'll just alternate speakers until we uh exhaust our time or exhaust our speakers. So, um I see that uh there are many of the folks that were here in November here again uh from Mom's Demand Action and so you don't have to get up right away. I mean, if we fill up the queue on the side here, you can wait and then get in line when it's convenient for you. Um so, we want to try to end I think about 8:35. Uh, and for those who don't get to speak this evening or desire to supplement their testimony, as I mentioned earlier, you can continue continue to make written submissions through better together.org website until midnight this coming Sunday, the 11th of January, 2026. So, as I mentioned earlier, uh, we're taking on tonight a topic a topic of an extraordinarily serious nature is one that can generate significant emotion regardless of one's position on the issue. I tell you that because this chambers has always been a sanctuary for civility. As differing and strongly held opinions are expressed, let's all commit to being respectful of those opinions as director Benerrod indicated. So, no clapping, juring, cheering, or outbursts of any kind. I'm pleased to see that there's no signage uh in the chambers. We wouldn't have permitted that. No signage in the foyer. We wouldn't have permitted that at all either. Uh those are things that council does not tolerate. So, um, we don't have to address that issue. So, finally, we'll take testimony tonight, but no action will be taken tonight. As I mentioned, the, uh, we'll take testimony through, uh, Sunday evening, the 11th of January, and then we'll take this matter up, uh, on our at our

regular scheduled meeting on the 20th of January to for further consideration. So, it looks like we're all getting already getting organized. Those favoring passage on the my left, those opposing the other side opposing passage on my right. Recall you'll have three minutes and um we're going to hear from people in the chambers first and we'll hold people that may be calling in online until the end if time allows. We'll hear from them as well. So I think everybody I thank everybody for being here this evening. I thank you for your civility in advance and let's get started and we'll take we'll go this way first and then this way. Thank you.

Thank you very much. My name is Ron Cleby and this is my wife Carol Flint Cleby. We've lived in Adina since 1987. More importantly, we are the grandparents of Fletcher Merkel. So, we have personal experience of what we are discussing tonight and we want to uh firmly agree with passing something. This has been a painful experience. We don't want anyone else to have ever have to go through it. As the grandmother who held this baby Fletcher Merkel, who lost his life at the enunciation shooting, I can only talk to him now in my dreams. I dreamed once of seeing where he would go with his voracious curiosity and ability to read. How we knew details about animals few adults did. How many hours do koala bears sleep? Can you name three different types of tapers from the mountains and plains? His curiosity had no limit. Once I dreamed where that curiosity would go and all his passions and now I can only see him in my dreams. I'm asking for people to reflect on what cultural and social impedance we can set up. What would help to limit the gun violence? It is startling to open up a Sunday newspaper and see an ad from Fleet and Farm. We sell hundreds of guns, all kinds, Glocks, pistols, handguns. And why? I deeply, deeply miss my grandson. Tomorrow would be his ninth birthday. This is an emotional

time for us and we hope that some legislation can come forward. Thank you very much. Thank you for being here. Yes, sir. Welcome.

Good evening. I am sorry for your loss. Um I do have some ideas on some effective strategies. My name is Dave Wright. I'm a longtime Edina resident. Uh I was raised here in Edina. I raised three kids here in Edina. My wife and I did. They all went to Adina High School. In the next couple minutes, I want to make um five points. First of all, as the city attorney mentioned, the statute would be preempted without a without a doubt. Now, Minnesota has statewide firearm regulations for a reason reason, and that's to ensure consistency across jurisdictions. Courts have repeatedly emphasized the importance of avoiding a patchwork of local rules that create confusion for both residents and visitors. Point number two, the ordinance raises second amendment concerns. The US Supreme Court has consistently held that firearms are that are in common use are protected. A ban on possession inside the home would certainly face a constitutional challenge and the city should not avoid should not invite that risk upon itself. Point number three, the ordinance would expose the city to costly litigation. Other cities have spent a lot of money defending similar laws with little or no public safety benefit as is the case here and I'll touch on that in a minute. Uh number four, lawabiding residents would become criminals overnight. Residents should not face criminal penalties for owning items that are legal everywhere everywhere else in Minnesota. And criminals who intend to do harm are not going to follow the ordinance anyway. Criminals do not follow laws by definition. Point number five, gun control laws have not reduced crime in other cities. You have to take on you have to look at the experience of other cities. There are many studies published on this topic. Cities, if you look at cities with very strict gun laws like Chicago and New York and others, they still have very high rates of

violent crime. And the point is it's it's crime control, not gun control. Crime control that leads to safer communities. And I want to close uh by emphasizing one point. I it's probably fair to say that everybody here tonight wants a safe edina without a shadow of the doubt, but the proposed ordinance is not going to achieve that goal. It creates legal uncertainty. It criminalizes responsible residents and it diverts attention away from strategies that actually will reduce violence. The proposed ordinance is divisive. It um and there are better tools available and just briefly I'll touch on a few. Number one, it's strong enforcement of exist existing laws against criminals who misuse firearms. That's number one. That's been proven effective. I can I've cited studies for you to that effect. Um, you can also have education, safe storage, outreach, and mental health support. Mental health is a big issue. If you look at the the mass shootings across, you look at the last 20 years, the common thread is mental health issues. Uh, and and these are the types of approaches that would unite the community and not divide it. This this ordinance will divide the community. For these reasons, I respectfully ask the council to reject the ordinance. I did, by the way, file a briefing memo, submit a briefing memo. I'd like part of the public record. I can leave it with you. Yes.

Yeah, please do. You can head into our Thank you. Communications director. Um, thank you, Mr. Wright. Yeah, I know that you sent that briefing memo to all of us in advance of this as well. Thank you. Yes, ma'am.

Good evening. My name is Sarah Paisley. I am an EDA resident, a room parent, a lawyer. I work full-time, and most importantly, I am a mom. I got involved with Mom's Demand Action when my youngest was a few months old. immediately following the Parkland shooting. I never imagined that getting her from her first day of first grade, I would have to sit her and her sister down and tell them that their dear friends were nearly murdered while sitting in church that morning. Thank God EMTT and Lily were physically unharmed. But as we know, many of their classmates were not. Even without physical harm, our dear friends are forever changed. The week after annunciation, I invited a small group of friends to my house to strategize and process. With two-day no days notice, over 50 busy Edina moms showed up. One brought her infant. Several came between shuttling kids to practice. Everyone wanted to do something. So, this nightmare would never repeat again in our community or anywhere. The momentum was so strong that in November we launched any Dina branch of Moms Demand Action to focus on making our city safer from guns. We are now 365 members and counting. My kids make fun of my common refrain. My number one job is to keep you safe. Don't talk with your mouth full. Look both ways. Don't forget your helmet. Here's the reality. None of that pre prevents the outcome that is the number one killer of children in this country. That killer is guns. And those deaths of so many children are 100% man-made and 100% preventable by us, the adults. I am proud to be a leader in this movement, but when it comes to guns, it can't just be my job. It's our job. It's your job. We are mothers, fathers, aunts, uncles, and grandparents begging

lawmakers to recognize the facts in front of you and act with courage. I am asking each of you individually to be a leader our kids deserve. Send a message that Edina is a city that puts the welfare of our children first. We lead in so many areas. Let this be one of them. Other cities are watching. Our state is watching. Most importantly, our kids are watching. This council has asked to weigh many complex issues of our city and our time. This isn't one of them. The question of preventing enunciation is painfully simple. It's the guns. Please, I ask you, act with courage and vote to pass the ordinance. Thank you.

Thank you. There's a gentleman out in the foyer with a sign being held over his head. Take that sign down, please. Thank you. Um, yes, sir.

Yes. My name is Bob Elmore. I'm a longtime resident of Edina. Thanks, Bob.

Um, as has previously said, we all want Adina to be safe, and one of the reasons my wife and I live here is because we feel Adina is a safe community. I just want to ask a question. I'm not going to make statements. Let's let's go back a hundred years to 1926. Anyone could order a firearm through the Sears catalog. No waiting period, no age restrictions, no background checks, no paperwork. Where were the school shootings? What was different? You could own a you could own a fully automatic machine gun until 1934. What was different? A lot of things in our society were different, but it's not guns. Guns have been here since before the founding of this country. I work with um ex-felons in North Minneapolis. So, I have some idea of what leads to crime. The the availability of guns is really way down on the list. If they want a gun, they can get one. And any ordinance you pass is not going to have any effect on a criminal's access to guns. We have to think about what's different in society. the breakdown of the family, social media, 24-hour news cycle, mass media, proliferation, the proliferation of psychotropic drugs. We can go on and on and on about things that are different than 100 years ago, but the availability of guns is not one of them. A larger percentage of the population owned guns then they do now. Most homes had a gun in the in the family and they weren't locked up in cabinets. They were available, but there were no school shootings. There were no school resource officers. There were no lockdowns. So, you have to ask yourself what's different. I'm not a I'm not a gun fanatic. I just want us to look at the situation intelligently and not be distracted away from real problems and focusing on something. If you don't like guns, it's easy to say, "Oh, guns are the problem." And not look

at the other areas that are a problem. Consider what's different than a 100 years ago and why there were no school shootings then and why all these things are happening now. Just ask yourself why. Again, guns were available then, more easily available than now. So, what happened? What's different? That's all I want you to ask yourself. What's different? Instead of focusing on something that probably isn't the issue and ignoring real issues, that's not going to help us. It's just a it's just getting our eyes off the real problem. And if you don't like guns, it's easy to do that. You know, I don't care if you like guns or not. What I care about is what is looking at real problems and not being distracted by something that is not the real problem. That's all I have to say.

Yeah. Thanks, Mr. Elmore. Thanks for being here.

Yes, sir.

Mayor Hovind and city council. Thank you for the opportunity to speak. My name is Jeff Sartin. I'm a pastor at Edina Community Lutheran Church over on West 54th Street. I'm here as a faith leader. I'm also here as someone who works closely with families living with real and ongoing trauma. And guns are a problem in our society and there are many problems. I agree. But guns are also a problem. This past fall, I witnessed the aftermath of the shooting at Annunciation Church as you all did. Three children from my congregation were inside the sanctuary at that time. The headlines moved on, but the fear and the grief did not. The trauma remains present in their daily lives and because these children were in a shooting that happened during the context of worship. Uh, every Sunday can be a difficult thing for them because their sense of safety was shattered. And it matters deeply that a community makes clear that they see this pain and that it matters. These aren't somebody else's kids. These are our kids. And when one part of our community suffers, we all suffer together. That's in the Bible. I also want to be clear that the importance many that I understand the importance many place on the second on the second amendment. I grew up in a little town in northern Minnesota. We had guns in our house. All my friends had guns in their house. It was a fact of life. Guns were available to us. However, something else was also present that I don't see now. And that was a deep respect for what it meant to have a gun. Even toy guns, we were taught never to point at a person. Always, only down. We had gun safety training in our schools. It was an emphasis on secure, responsible gun ownership over convenience. and we valued care for our neighbors over casual access to our guns. We no longer

live in that same context. I believe things have changed. It wasn't a hundred years ago that I was in school, but it was a long time ago. Things have changed. Firearms today are more lethal, more accessible, and more likely to be stored in ways that increase risk, especially to our children. Our responsibility also has to rise to meet the changing reality. I do not read the ordinance before you as criminalizing responsible gun ownership. I believe it addresses the real and proven dangers of unsecured firearms and negligent storage. And it affirms that community safety and individual rights depend on one another. As a pastor, I can say with certainty that gun violence shapes childhoods, fractures trust, and leaves lasting wounds. Any thoughtful gun safety and storage policy is not about fear. It is about care and about responsibility and love of neighbor. I urge you to approve this ordinance. Thank you.

Thank you, pastor.

My name is Doug Bcker. I d a resident. Um I'm opposed to the ordinance that's here. I have lost a son to drugs. I've lost a daughter to suicide by gun. I understand the pain that the people in Annunciation, the mothers, the grandmothers are going through. But I'm opposed for it because I think it's a waste of your time and the money that is spent on a proposal like this when it would be so much better spent on mental health. Mental health in our schools, mental health in our criminal system. I experienced through Henipin County with my own son's addiction how very little effort was given to address with these children the aspects of mental health and those that are struggling through it. I would much rather see you work in a process of boistering and giving giving money and effort towards addressing mental health in the schools and in the court systems.

Thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Rickert. Good evening.

Good evening, mayor and city council members. My name is Aaron Zamoff. I am a lawyer, a former state chapter leader for Mom's Demand Action, current board member of Protect Minnesota, and an Adina resident. We the people, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, promote the general welfare, secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our prosperity, do ordain, and establish this Constitution. When we allow a shooter to obtain an AR-15 that they use to fire 116 rounds into a church full of children, we are not establishing justice. We are not ensuring domestic tranquility and we are definitely not securing the blessings of liberty to our posterity, our children. No, we're failing our children. The Supreme Court has recognized an individual right to bear arms, but that right is not unlimited. In the Heler decision, Justice Scalia specifically referenced our quote historical tradition of prohibiting the carrying of dangerous and unusual weapons. Every federal appellet court that has considered the constitutionality of assault weapons ban has upheld them. The federal government itself banned large capacity magazines of more than 10 rounds from 1994 to 2004, during which time mass shooting fatalities declined only to rise sharply again after the ban expired. There's overwhelming evidence that assault rifles and large capacity magazines are extremely dangerous. Mass shootings involving assault weapons result in six times as many people shot and twice as many people killed as compared to incidents involving other firearms. When large capacity magazines are used, the number of people killed

increases by more than 60%. The number wounded by more than 100%. Large capacity magazines eliminate pauses for reloading that allow victims to escape and law enforcement to intervene. This new ordinance is not about denying anyone their rights. It's about protecting the rights of our neighbors and our children to live freely. To go to school without fear, to go to church and pray without worrying that someone's going to fire hundreds of rounds through a window in minutes where there's no possibility of escape. Our community overwhelmingly supports this ordinance. And in the absence of state action, our city should be allowed to take this step to protect its residents. The government has a core obligation to protect its citizens, a responsibility we're currently failing. I urge you to pass this resident, this ordinance to ensure the tranquility and blessings of liberty our constitution guarantees and our children deserve. Thank you so much for allowing us this opportunity to speak.

Huff. Good evening. Yes, sir.

I'm My name is Dan Nye. I'm a resident of Edina. Um my issue is that uh the prior speaker talked about the clear words of the second amendment. The right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Those words apparently don't mean much um from the prior comments by the mayor and city council. Um yet if we ju just ju just juxaposed uh an abortion restriction that you got that you would try to implement while Row versus Wade was in order. Um people would be in an uproar uh just because of the leftist policies. The same for if you tried to impose any restrictions on gay marriage under Ober Bergfeld. Um, those cases didn't have clear language like the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed. Um, it was sort of made up, pulled out of different things, but the language of the second amendment is clear. You guys know you'll be breaking the constitution if you implement this. The second thing I want to point out is um an adjust injustice occurred at the enunciation shooting and it appears that you guys want to blame innocent parties for that injustice. The person responsible for the annunciation shooting was Robin West Westman and no one else. Why would you try to restrict and interfere with law-abiding citizens that had nothing to do with this act of evil? I hate to break it to you, but the policies that

everybody wants um to have this um gun restriction imposed. The leftist ideologies screwed up that guy. Um, instead of [snorts] keeping him in reality, his parents let him go down a road of lies to let him think that he could be something he wasn't. And what happened with that lie? Uh, a great evil came out of it. Even at the end, some of his final writings, he even admitted that uh, he was tired of being trans and wish he had never brainwashed himself. He committed a great evil. I think he was led down that path by uh people who were empathetic. But empathy without prudence is stupidity. We can't make judgments based on feelings. We are bound by the Constitution. The right of the people to care, keep, and bear arms shall not be infringed. Thank you.

Thank you. Thanks for being here. Good evening.

Evening. Uh, my name is Grace Fbrush. I'm a relatively new resident in Edina, but I grew up at my parents house a mile and a half away in Richfield, and I spent nine years of my life at Annunciation Catholic School. I got a text from my mom at 9:05 a.m. on August 27th that I will never forget. There is a mass casualty event with an active shooter at annunciation right now. It is [snorts] in the church. It doesn't sound like anybody is in the school. Although school is in session, the shooter hasn't made it into the school. My hands began to shake and I nearly dropped my phone. I hurried to a corner and let myself collapse. I called my mom's voice trembling with terror and I asked her if anyone was dead. We both started gasping for breath and crying as we thought about Jimmy and [snorts] Teresa and all of our other dear friends whose lives might have already been extinguished without our knowledge. [snorts] I haven't been Catholic for 10 years, not even religious really. But in that moment, I felt myself praying. I don't know who or what I was praying to, but I was just praying that they weren't alive. They say there's no atheists in the foxhole. Well, they're right. [snorts] I didn't realize how much worse it would get. I pulled up the school's website hoping for I don't even know what. But I clicked on calendar and I felt my heart drop into my stomach and I texted my family. The kids were there. It's the new school year. All school mass today. Suddenly, this nightmare I didn't think could get worse had devolved into a living hell. We [snorts] had run so many drills at school, but not once had we run a drill inside the church. Why would we? Suddenly, everyone I ever knew in that place I called home for nine years was at stake.

That evening, we crowded into the gym at Holy Angels for a vigil. I'll [snorts] never forget hugging one of my teachers and noticing a spot of blood on her dress. I don't even know whose it was. I don't even know if she knew it was there. I started engaging in gun control advocacy when I was 15 years old. I know the numbers. I know the statistics. But nothing you do will ever prepare you for this happening to your community. [snorts] Just a few weeks ago, two college students were murdered at Brown University by another person who got a gun too easily. A student named Mia Trea had survived a shooting as a student at Sis High School in Santa Clarita where she was shot in the abdomen. And it's [snorts] not even the first time we've heard of someone surviving multiple mass shootings. A couple weeks ago, 26-year-old Donovan Mate died by suicide using a gun. He was a survivor of Parkland. Following a mental health crisis in 2021, an extreme risk protection order was put into place to [snorts] keep him from purchasing a gun. And that order lapsed last month. He bought a gun a week later. [snorts] I am terrified for the children in our community at annunciation who now have to bear the trauma of that day. And I hope that we don't end up hearing more stories like Donovan's or Mia with names that we already know. I am terrified [snorts] that when these kids grow up, remembering that Fletcher and Harper never got to that their lives will be threatened again by a completely preventable peril. I am terrified that this trauma will follow them in a way that they cannot heal or escape from it. The research is clear. I am here to beg you.

D, I need to have you wrap up. You've over the time. Please. Yeah. Pass the ordinance. Thank you. [clears throat] [snorts] You hold. Bear with me, ma'am. We've got somebody who wants to speak on the other side here. Sorry.

My name is David Bice, [clears throat] 20 plus year resident of the city of Vina. Parent, taxpayer, someone who, like all of you, is heartbroken by the horrific events that happened at Annunciation Catholic Church and School, the loss of two innocent children. I believe that Fletcher's grandparents were here even tonight. the injuries to so many others during what should have been a joyful back to school mass. It's unimaginable. It's pure evil actually. My heart goes out to the families, the students, the parishioners, and everyone touched by this tragedy. We will grieve together. [snorts] Guns don't kill people. People kill people. This statement is not meant to ignore tragedy or pain. and instead it reminds us to focus on responsibility, intent and real solutions. A gun on its own cannot act. It has no thoughts, emotions, or decisions. Does not choose when or how to be used. Only a person can make that choice. We need to stop using the cliche phrase that guns are dangerous because automobiles are dangerous, scissors are dangerous, knives are dangerous, pens are dangerous, ice skates are dangerous. When violence happens, it's because someone decided to harm another human being. Blaming the object shifts attention away from the individual who committed the act. Violence existed long before modern firearms and gun violence still occurs in places with strict gun laws. That's because violence is a human problem. It's not a tool problem. When someone is determined to hurt others, they will use whatever means they can find. Instead of focusing only on guns, we should focus on one holding people accountable for their actions. Two, addressing mental health challenges.

Do you know that in the case of the Annunciation shooter that for a period of four years there were clues that Robert Westman was disturbed? There are police reports and statements from co-workers at the marijuana dispensary where he worked that questioned his state of mind and his intentions. Nothing was reported. We have red flag laws for this type of issue. We can also prevent crime through education and community support and teach responsibility and safe decisionmaking. If we want a safer Edina Henipin County and Minnesota, we need to address the root causes of violence and hold individuals accountable rather than placing blame on objects that cannot act on their own.

Thank you, Mr. Vice. Excuse [clears throat] me. My name is Karen Bertulli. I'm an indina resident, a lawyer, and a mom, and I urge you to adopt the or the ordinance. [clears throat] For too long, I sat on the sidelines as gun violence has spread across America. But that changed for me on May 24th, 2022, when I saw news reports that a gunman had entered Rob Elementary in Yuvali, Texas, and murdered 19 children and two teachers while armed officers stood outside for 77 minutes. That 77 minutes of waiting still makes me furious. But according to a March 2023 Texas Tribune article, because of the weapon used, an AR-15, catastrophic damage had already been done. Quote, "In two and a half minutes, before any police officer set foot inside the school, the gunman fired more than 100 rounds at students and teachers from point blank range." Several victims lost large portions of their heads. Photos taken by investigators show bullets tore gashes and flesh as long as a foot. They shattered a child's shin, nearly severed another's arm at the elbow, ripped open another's neck, and blasted a hole the size of a baseball in another's hip. End quote. That's what happened in Yuvalde. But I could have been talking about Sandy Hook, Parkland, the Pulse nightclub, or the Tree of Life Synagogue. All mass shootings where AR-15 style weapons were also used. Or of of course, Annunciation. As we all know, last August, gun violence terrorized our neighbors at Annunciation, and we lost Fletcher Harper.

[snorts]

30 other students and adults were physically injured that day, [clears throat] but the whole school and community was traumatized. Mercifully, adults on the scene and MPD acted swiftly, undoubtedly [snorts] saving lives. But again, a lawfully purchased AR-15 like the ones the proposed ordinance would ban in Adina was used to murder and maim school children gathered in a church praying. Gun violence is now the leading killer of children and teens in America. and assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, binary triggers, and ghost guns make this problem worse. Even as we've had victories with red flag laws, background checks, and secure storage on this issue, [snorts] some will complain about supposed infringement on gun owners rights. Or as the gun owners caucus put it in their November letter to the council and the mayor, quote, "The [snorts] ordinance mere existence will cause constitutional and statutory harm." End quote. Statutory harm. What I am worried about, and according to an Every Town for Gun Safety poll, what 88% of my fellow motans are worried about is children being harmed in mass shootings. What we are worried about is being shot by weapons of war. Guns loaded with seemingly endless rounds of ammunition or modified to make shooting multiple rounds faster, easier, deadlier. We are worried about another enunciation. This ordinance isn't about handguns or hunting rifles. It's just the necessary first step in removing weapons of war from our communities. As you know, even if adopted, the enactment of this ordinance is currently preempted by state law. Even if preemption is lifted, you would still have to pass a resolution to enact it. If that happens, then Adina, along with St. Paul, who has passed a similar ordinance, can lead the way for 15 other cities also considering laws laws of their own. It's not overstating things to say that we are at an inflection point. We can be judged as having done the right thing, the courageous thing, or not. It is past time to get off the sidelines and take action against these entirely entirely preventable tragedies. We owe it to the residents of our city. We owe it to our children. Adopt the ordinance. Thank you.

Thank you, M. [clears throat]

Hello. Um, thank you for your time um and this opportunity to speak. Thank you also for your leadership in our community as our council. My name is Jay Kim. I'm a St. Louis native and a transplant from out of state. I'm so very happy to call Edina home and uh really proud to be part of this community the last six years. I'm a father of a third grader. I'm also a physician. Um and lastly a former gun owner. Uh earlier this year I was working at the hospital which was right adjacent to children's hospital when the tragedy at Annunciation School happened. There were so many unknowns and children were taken to both children's hospital next door and Henipin County Medical Center. This event still shakes me and it ultimately led to the selling of my own firearm. I ask that this council strongly consider common sense guard rails to limit assault rifles, ghost guns, and highcapacity magazines in our community. The velocity of larger caliber bullets causes increased harm to the human body compared to smaller rounds. The chance of survivability also decreases due to the harm on internal organs and the unmititigated rapid bleeding that occurs. To have these larger rounds also fired rapidly adds further to the deadly potential of these weapons. Opponents may say if there's a will, there's a way and that this action won't stop someone who truly intends on destruction. That said, it's not reason for inaction. Now is a time for policy change. Let's take the example of the Australians who gathered together after their 1996 Port Authority mass shooting where they pragmatically came together and made change. Thank you for your time and

please pass this ordinance. Hey, Dr. Kim.

Good evening.

My name is Gabriella and I'm a sophomore at Adina High School and a member of Students Demand Action. When you're young, you learn to wait. Wait for the school bus. Wait in line for the cafeteria. Wait for the bell to ring. Now it feels as if we are waiting for the next school shooting. We cannot stand idly in the wake of current events. We saw that with a tragedy at Annunciation School which hit so close to our homes and our hearts. We cannot pretend that our community is an exception or that through only words of consolation we can bring justice. We cannot say we are sorry or that we are honoring the memories of the lives lost to gun violence while we do nothing to prevent it from happening again. In a world where students like me learn how to protect ourselves should a weapon of war enter our school, it is time to stop waiting. We have the chance to do something about the horrors that gun violence inflicts on children, parents, teachers, citizens, communities. We can choose to actively work at preventing another tragedy instead of just reacting to the damage. Ever since I can remember, we have had lockdown drills where we crawled into corners and shut off the lights. At 10 years old, I learned how to tie a doororknob closed with a rope while my friend dialed 911 on an unplugged phone. It shouldn't be normal that we learned how to hide from an active shooter alongside Long Division. It shouldn't be normal that when we go to school, we're prepared to barricade a

door. It is terrifying and is ingrained into the experience of being a student today. I am here because after years of thoughts and prayers and crossed fingers, it is time to take action. This ordinance is the first step. Gun violence and school shootings are incredibly destructive and pervasive. At the end of the day, we are just asking to be safe. As a young person and as a student, the most powerful thing that I can do is to tell you this, to amplify the voices of the victims and to urge you to pass this ordinance on firearm control and safety. We want to go to school and public places and have to worry about our academics rather than making it home that day. But this is not something that we can do alone. I'm looking to the adults in this room and the in the Adina community to act now in order to keep us safe because this cannot wait. Thank you.

Thank you. Here we are. Good evening.

Good evening, council. Uh, my name is Danica Halverson. I'm a resident of Edina, and I come to share my viewpoint not only as a resident, but as a parent of kids in Edina schools and as an educator in a nearby public school district. And on the morning of August 27th, I was sitting in a back- tos school staff meeting in my building about safety and security updates that were made over the summer. When we heard the news of the horrific events across town, the irony of that is unbearable. As a parent and an educator, this topic has hit too close to home for too long. Each year at work in the public schools, I get to do these lockdown lockdown drills like Gabriella explained with students in early childhood as young as three and four years old. These lockdown drills are times when we applaud our earliest learners, not for learning to read or share their toys, but to sit quietly in the corner of a dark room. I also work in special education and so I've had to have conversations with colleagues about which of us would carry a medically fragile student from the building should we feel it be the best option to flee in an active situation or conversations about how to keep a non-verbal student with autism calm and able to follow directions in these yearly lockdown drills. Educators spend immense bandwidth and resources every day to support our students during these drills and just to keep our students safe every day. According to Every Town for Gun Safety Research, in 2025 alone, there were at least 159 incidents of gunfire on school grounds across our country. For comparison, in Minnesota, we have 165 instructional days. That means that almost every day that an educator like myself drives home from school, there is

a news story that reminds us that we are not safe from violence. As an educator, it's my job to do all that I can do to keep my students safe. For too long, we have borne the weight of this responsibility while lawmakers at every level say nothing can be done. As a council, it is your job to do all that you can do to keep the residents of Edina safe. I urge you to pass the ordinance considered today. Thank you. Thank you.

Evening.

Good evening. My name is Dr. Carrie Aman. I'm a resident of Adina and I'm a practicing clinical psychologist. I'd like to speak about the far-reaching and profound impact of gun violence on psychological health. All forms of gun violence can result in significant psychological damage not only to the individuals directly involved but to a wide circle of people around them. As research on gun violence has grown, the definition of who is impacted um by the violence has expanded. Today, gun violence is understood to be a serious public health problem. So let's talk about the psychological impact of gun violence on individuals and then the community. Research consistently shows that exposure to gun violence is linked to a number of significant mental health and substance abuse problems. Gun violence can impact a person's basic sense of safety as manifest by chronic anxiety. It also creates symptoms of depression including sadness, grief, suicidal ideiation, loss of interest in activity, social isolation and despair. Physical symptoms are very common as well. Chronic fatigue, leth lethargy, headaches, gastrointestinal issues. Some exposed to gun violence will develop PTSD. Children are particularly u vulnerable. They may regress in their behaviors. They may be more clingy and needy. They may have episodes of bedwedding. They may have setbacks in their ability to learn in school, sleep problems, and trouble regulating their emotions. Gun violence has a collective impact on communities. Following incidents of gun violence, large numbers of people within a community report intrusive thoughts of violence, mistrust of others, hypervigilance, and emotional numbing. Fear and violence can become normalized.

large public gatherings will be avoided. It can erode trust in institutions that are perceived as having failed to protect to provide adequate public safety. A few days after the enunciation shooting, a patient called me in a panic. His children also attended a Catholic elementary school. He was deeply concerned about his son's safety. He wondered about his son's school uh safety protocols. His curious son asked him many questions about the annunciated the annunciation shooting. He wondered how much information to share and which details to avoid. He worried about what the older kids on the bus would talk about and what his sons might overhear. He was heartbroken by the knowledge that his seven-year-old son already that he already had about guns, safety protocol, and the aftermath of a shooting. He cried about his son's loss of innocence and what impact this might have in his future. I urge you to pass the ordinance so that we um can be a leader in promoting safety and preventing psychological harm. We owe it to ourselves. We owe it to our children and we owe it to our community. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, doctor.

Good evening.

Hi. Good evening. My name is Katie Nar. I live in Minneapolis with my husband. I'm the mother of three children. Two attendunciation and one attends Adina Public Elementary School. On the morning of August 27th, I along with thousands of parents were dropping their children off for the first day of school in Edina. I gave my child a hug and handed them over to the staff with hopeful expectations for the year ahead. Less than an hour later, I received the worst phone call of my life. Mom, you have to come get us now. I raced the three miles to Annunciation where I was hit with the news. While my children, their classmates, teachers, other parents, and neighbors were in mass, 116 bullets shattered glass and pews in less than two minutes, killing two children and devastating hundreds of lives forever. Now, my family lives every day with the grief and trauma of surviving a mass murder. Gun violence doesn't care where you live, what color your skin is, how much money you make, or what god you pray to. And if you think that Edina has been immune to what happened at enunciation, it has not. It's touched every teacher at my child's Edina Elementary School when they've accommodated delayed drop off requests, when they'd have when they've had to give us advanced notice of school lockdown drills, and when they've looked into my eyes during school conferences this year. We are grateful for the outpouring of support that we have received from our Edina neighbors and businesses.

They have stepped up to provide meals, financial assistance, and gathering spaces for connection and healing. But there is more to be done. Thoughts and prayers and food and money don't solve the epidemic of gun violence. Keeping residents and families and children safe happens in this room, and it happens with you. The motto for this school year at my child's Edina Elementary School is go mad, which stands for go out, make a difference. How are we supposed to expect our children to have the courage to do this when the adults in charge don't lead the way? How are we supposed to give them a future filled with hope without ensuring they go home alive at the end of the school day? I urge you for Fletcher, for Harper, for my family, for all of your families. Please pass this ordinance. Thank you.

Thank you. Would it be okay if um I handed you a letter that one of my children wrote to elected officials after the communication director? We will put it in as part of the record. Thank you. Thank you, Miss Majura.

Hi. Thank you for doing this, council. And you might think, why am I wearing a League of Women Voters shirt? I have a red t-shirt, but I wanted to let you know what the League of Women Voters is doing right now. And also, I want to start by saying, Mr. Kendall, I certainly support the um the position that you're that you put forward. So, thank you. Uh but as you said, we can't do anything unless the state changes some of the laws. And that's why the League of Women Voters is making it a legislative priority to advocate for gun violence prevention. And I've got to read this so I don't say it wrong. [laughter] Um, the league supports laws intended to reduce deaths and injuries by firearms and supports funding programs and strategies that will reduce homicides, suicides, or unintentional firearm deaths or injuries. I know that's not real specific, but it's it gives us a lot of latitude. You know, could it be assault rifles? If that's what the state legislature says, we should do something on that, we can support that. And I think it's important and I encourage everyone to contact their legislators and so forth to bring make sure this comes to the four in the U legislative session which begins February 17th. I think it's a very important thing that we can all do something about. Um, and thank you very much for hearing me. Thank you.

Thank you, Miss FGI. Good evening.

Good evening. Good evening. All right. Um, hi. My name is Diane Blake. I live in the Melody Lake neighborhood. I lived in Edina for a long time, long enough to remember Clancy's and when Centennial Lakes was a gravel pit. I'll let you figure the math. Um, my husband and I raised our child here. I was a Girl Scout leader and served on the board of the Edina family and early childhood family education. My daughter attended Edina public schools, learned how to ride her bike on our streets, and years later practiced her driving skills in the garden, now named Yansy Parking lot. She learned to play soccer and violin here. These aren't just milestones, though. They are the moments that make our community feel safe and whole. And like many of us in this room, nearly every part of our lives exists within the 16 square miles of Edina. our [snorts] places of worship, the schools our children attend, whether it's Normanddale, Concord, OOLG. We buy Girl Scout cookies at Jerry's. We celebrate parties at Pinstripes. We cheer at Dina football games. We skate at Braayar. Play mini golf at Centennial Lakes. Collect candy at the Fourth of July parade. Grab malts at Snuffies. Take pottery classes at Adina Art Center. Rush to Crumble for a late afternoon snack attack. Gather our neighborhood cookouts or what we call in our neighborhood drinks on the driveway. Sounds very tranquil, doesn't it? But the point is this city is woven into our everyday lives. And then we hear today the stories from Gabriella and Anakah about how our students and our kids are spending their days in the school. And that is exactly why this moment, this hearing, this issue matters. Right now, our state legislature has failed to protect us. It either cannot or will not act to keep assault weapons

out of our communities. When higher levels of government fail, local leaders must step forward. And this is where you all come in. Passing this ordinance says that Edina will not wait until strategy forces our hand. It says we choose prevention. It ensures that when state leaders finally allow local action, Edina's Department of Public Safety will be ready to protect this community. You were elected to protect the families, children, and residents who call Edina home. I am asking you to choose their safety. And when we know how to reduce harm and choose not to act, well, that's a decision in itself. So, I am here to ask you to make the right decision for our community and our future. Please vote yes on this ordinance. Thank you.

Thank you, Miss Blake. Evening. Good evening.

Hi, my name is Mia and I a senior at Edana High School, a member of Students Demand Action, and a resident of Edina. I'm here today alongside with my community members to share my experiences as a kid in a world where guns are taking the lives of individuals. Individuals who are children, our classmates, siblings, friends, teachers, mentors, coaches, parents, teammates, and above all, human beings, which in turn has instilled fear within myself and my classmates. Specifically, I'd like to talk about my experiences in a lockdown about a month ago in which neither the teachers nor students knew if it was a drill or an active threat. Lockdown. Locks, lights, out of sight. This phrase, a memorized cadence by now, played over the loudspeaker in our classrooms. What followed was my teacher in a stern voice instructing us to go. Go and get into a safe spot. Once I was once we were seated, I saw panic on my classmates's faces developing. I'm scared. one of my classmates said to me. I tried reassuring her, but in reality, my heart was pounding and my hands were shaking. I texted my family group chat, trying to sound as calm as possible, trying not to worry them. As we sat, I whispered to my classmate that we should either run out of the door that was near to our classroom or barricade it. I reassured my classmate, who was panicked, that we could break a window if need be. I knew what to do. We knew what to do. Kids in schools know what to do. Isn't that sad? Isn't it sad that we thought we'd be safer running out of a building that's supposed to keep us safe? This is the reality of kids in schools nowadays. I have escape plans in all of my classrooms. Isn't that sad? Adults have failed to keep us safe for far too long. And now we are asking adults to do something to protect our lives, a right we should all have. There ended up being no danger. And we were only in a lockdown for 11 minutes. But that 11 minutes felt like an hour. I walked out of my classroom with my legs

feeling numb, my heart pounding, and my mind racing. I couldn't help but think back to my dad running from the danger in the Las Vegas shooting back in 2017. I couldn't help imagining us running out of our school away from an active shooter just as he did. I walked to my friend's classroom and she hugged me immediately with tears in her eyes. We were scared. We were scared of a gunman coming into our safe classrooms and shooting us. Isn't that sad? For far too long, our society has viewed gun violence as a political issue. I'm here today to tell you it has never been nor should ever be viewed as a political issue. We are talking about human lives, individual human beings who are being killed. There is absolutely nothing political about that. So, we stand here today to urge city council to pass the ordinance that all semi-automatic military-style assault weapons, ghost guns, large crassy magazines, and binary triggers in our city. We have waited far too long. It is time to do something. It is time to take action to ensure students, teachers, parents, and members of our community finally feel safe. Thank you. [clears throat]

Evening.

Good evening. My name is Trish Velusk. I am an Edina resident and the mother of two students at Edina High School. I am also a pediatric trauma surgeon. On the morning of August 27th, I was of last year, I was the trauma surgeon on duty at Children's Hospital of Minneapolis. I was part of the team responsible for caring for multiple gunshot victims, multiple children who had been shot that morning at Enunciation School. There is a saying in pediatrics that kids aren't just little adults. They have a different physiology. You can't treat them the same. The saying definitely holds true for gunshot wounds. It should be obvious. Kids are small. In an adult, a bullet might cause injury along its path, but be somewhat insulated by surrounding tissue. This same bullet will do more damage to a child because they don't have that extra protection. Add in the factor of high velocity ammunition, and the path of the damage widens further. I really hope I don't need to give a more graphic description of what a bullet does to a small child's body to get the point across that it is bad. There is another, I think, potentially bigger difference between gunshot wounds in adults and those in children. I admit that much of my memory of August 27th is a blur. But there are a few things that are vibrant and crystal clear in my brain and they are what still wake me up at 3:00 in the morning. It is the looks of absolute terror on the face of the children as they came into our ER and the panicked parents who came in after them trying to find their children. Since 2020, gunshot wounds have been the leading cause of death among kids ages 1 to 17 in the United States. Not cancer, not car crashes, not peanut allergies, gunshot wounds. The rate of gun-related deaths in children has increased 106% since 2013. The United States now averages several gun- rellated deaths in children per day. I have heard arguments since August 27th when I've been testifying as much as I can that those increases in gun-related deaths in children are mainly suicides.

And that's correct. But my question to those who make that claim is this. Do you think there is a difference in the screams of the mother whose child is shot by an automatic weapon and those of the mother whose child suffers a self-inflicted gunshot wound? I unfortunately know from experience that they sound the same and both are preventable. How can we live in a society that knows this will happen again and do nothing to prevent it? As an Adina resident, parent, and trauma surgeon, I am asking that you protect our children from this trauma. Please pass the proposed gun safety ordinance to keep automatic weapons out of our community and to keep legal guns safely stored away from those who could use them for harm to themselves or others. These tragedies are entirely preventable, we just need to care enough about our children to do something about it. And [snorts] as an aside, and just as a response to something that was said earlier, as to the argument that guns don't kill people, I am unfortunately an expert on the matter. I'd be more than happy to describe the difference between gunshot wounds and other forms of trauma with any of you at any time. Thank you.

Thank you, doctor.

Hi, my name is Eliza Erlin and I'm a sophomore at Adina High School and an Adina resident. The day at the the day the shooting at Annunciation happened, I was in my math class. I was quickly checking my phone when I saw a text from my mom. She asked me if I was okay. I did not know what she was talking about. That's when I found out that there was a shooting happening at Annunciation, a school that, as most of you probably know, is really, really close to Adina High School. The rest of that day, I was in shock. I couldn't focus for the rest of that class. And I kept checking the news. I saw those terrifying photos of kids hugging their parents, sobbing. Honestly, I was scared to go to school the next day because what was stopping someone from showing up at my school and doing the same exact thing? What was the difference between annunciation in my school? I still don't have the answers to those questions. For once, I felt unsafe in my city, the place I've lived my entire life. How could a community so close to mine have something like that happen? It felt surreal. Typically, you hear about these things in the news in some other state, not in a school 15 minutes away from yours. This fear, this feeling is why I'm asking you to do something about it. Make the students, staff, and parents in Adina public schools feel safe. Make a change. Pass this ordinance. I am 15 years old. The power is in your hands. You are the adults, and I'm asking you to do something to keep me and my peers safe. No one deserves to feel the amount of fear the students and parents at Annunciation felt that day and the fear they continue to feel after the shooting. We shouldn't have to worry that this tragedy is going to happen again in our community. Thank you.

Thank you, Roger.

Good evening.

Good evening. [clears throat] My name is David Los. I'm the senior pastor at Manoliva Lutheran Church which has more than a thousand members that call Adina home. More to this evening's proceedings though I'm here as the pastor of Molly and Jesse Merkel and their children Milo Hazel Rory and of course Fletcher. The morning of August 27th, I arrived at Annunciation School at about 10:30 in the morning after receiving a call from one of the volunteer police chaplain letting me know that one of the two children was one of our men. By that time, all the shots had been fired. The gunman had taken their life. Wounded children had been taken to various hospitals. The rest of the students had been reunited with their parents. What was left when I arrived were the shattered remains of two families whose lives and futures have been torn apart by horrific violence. I could hear the devastated whailing of Harper's mother as I looked for Molly and Jesse. And when I found them, I had the first of two thoughts that will remain with me forever. That first thought was that there was absolutely nothing I could do or say that was adequate to the situation. Oh, I could hold on to them, embrace them as they experienced the waves of shock, disbelief, grief, anger, and despair that would ultimately rack their bodies and spirits. I could call grandparents to let them know they could call off the search for Fletcher at area hospitals because he was here. I could and did all of this, but there were no words or actions direct the unfathomable hurt they were enduring. Later that evening, I accompanied Fletcher's parents and grandparents back to the church when we were allowed to see Fletcher. Actually though we couldn't see him as his body was wrapped in a white cloth but we could touch him pray over him offer a blessing. We did this in a side vestibule of the church as the main sanctuary was still an active crime scene that had been ripped apart by gunfire which is when a second thought embedded itself in me. This did not have to happen. I'm not referring simply to violence that has and always will be with us but rather the sheer even grotesque immensity of the violence. Of the 119 rounds of gunfire discharged, 116 were fired in a minute from

illegally purchased semiotic automatic weapon. This did not have to happen. Two additional thoughts. First, I have heard it said, and perhaps you have too, that any gun safety ordinance proposed should be both comprehensive and proven to be effective before they made into law. They do not. The problem of gun violence is complex and will require a multi-layered response, including greater attention to mental health. But any and every measure we can take to reduce gun violence is a vital step to take. Small steps now rather than waiting for a comprehensive plan later will save lives. Not knowing with certainty which of those steps will prove most effective is no excuse for an action. We should instead follow the words of the Hypocratic oath and try anything that does no harm. Second, please keep this conversation going. I am here to urge you to pass this ordinance. It seems to me to be common sense, modest, actionable, and impactful. If you disagree, let's talk about it. The great failure of our day is that rather than view this issue of preventing gun violence as a matter of public health and safety, it's devolved into a partisan affair where supporters on either side of the issue are [snorts] expected to demonstrate their loyalty by towing the line, devouring disavowing meaningful conversation, and demonizing opponents. We need to keep talking to each other, keep identifying shared values, keep seeking common ground, and in these ways honor what I know is our shared commitment to the safety of our children, our neighbors, and our first responders. It is the only way forward. At 10:30 on that Wednesday, there may have been nothing I could do or any of us, but there is something we can do tonight and going forward. Thank you.

Thank you, pastor. Hello, my name is Laura Thra. I'm an Adina resident here. I wasn't planning on speaking tonight, but I felt compelled to do so because I'm urging you to pass the ordinance that we can ban assault rifles from um the community of Edina. On December 14th, 2012, my niece Charlotte Bacon was killed at Sandy Hook. She was a kindergartener. That was 13 years ago. And here we are today, 13 years later, still talking about this issue. Her her family is grieving. They will never be the same. And it's very difficult for them to go forward. And we here today can try and make a difference. We can try and save our our children. We can try and do something so that we can say that your life was not taken in vain. Another thought, I'm an educator here in Edina public schools. I know what these students are talking about when we have these stay put, stays safe drills. I'm a teacher. My job with these younger children is to hurdle them into a safe area, close the lock the doors, close the curtains, and they don't understand why, and tell them not to talk. And I'm shielding them with my body, thinking I've lived a good life, but it is my job to allow you to have more time if that was the occurrence. So, I'm urging you, please, please, let's let's stop this gun violence if we can. Let's not allow assault rifles into our community and do the best that we possibly can to keep everybody safe.

Excuse me. [clears throat]

My name is Tessrada. My daughter Laya is a third grader at Annunciation. On the morning of August 27th, she had forgotten her lunch in the car. Um, so her dad was in the parking lot uh after dropping it off when he heard hundreds of shots ring out at the church just steps from where he was standing. We were told later by MPD that 116 bullets had been shot in 2 minutes and 34 seconds. And the only way someone can do that amount of damage is with an assault style semi-automatic rifle, which is a weapon made for the battlefield paired with a high-capacity magazine. And people like to use the argument that guns don't kill people, people do. And while it is true that a gun cannot shoot itself, it is equally true that a person cannot shoot 116 shots without a gun. I know I don't have to tell you that children shouldn't be shot at while they're in school or praying in church. Children shouldn't have to watch their classmates killed in front of them. And teachers and principles shouldn't have to hold their students hands while they're bleeding out on the ground. Laya and I have done many things this year that I didn't think we'd ever have to do. attending funerals for her classmates, going to therapy for PTSD, weighing every place we go with the likelihood of a mass shooting occurring there. She can't sleep alone, and she falls to the floor when she hears unexpected noises. And most sadly, I've I've watched her slow understanding that her longtime friend and classmate, Fletcher, isn't here anymore. and her realization that with a simple change of seating at mass that day, it could have been her. She's eight. We live in Minneapolis, but we are regularly in Adina for shopping or playdates. And I have such severe PTSD, I had to leave my full-time job. I'm

starting a part-time job soon at a coffee shop in Edina. And when I am here, I want to be secure in the knowledge that weapons of war and high-capacity magazines, binary triggers, and ghost guns are not allowed here. And it may seem like a tragedy of this scale won't happen to you. I didn't think it would happen to me. But the thing I've learned through this experience is that nothing is certain and bullets don't care about race, class, or who you voted for. I thought my daughter would be safe in her school in church, but as of right now, there really is no safe place. I'm asking city council to pass the ordinance put before you tonight and to care about your kids enough to say you did everything in your power to prevent what happened at Annunciation from happening here. Thank you.

Thank you, Jess. Good evening. Good evening. Hi. Uh my name is Can you hear? Okay. Yeah, you you're taller. You'll have to more.

Uh my name is Steve Sanger. Um I've been a high school science teacher for 25 years, including 21 years at Edina High School. I speak tonight not as a representative of Edina public schools, but as a private citizen and educator, and I urge you to pass this ordinance. When I began teaching in two the year 2000, my classroom had a chalkboard, an overhead projector, and no computer. An enormous amount has changed over my 25-y year career, both in education and society. But one thing that hasn't changed is the all too frequent news of yet another school shooting. And what strikes me the most about this as an educator is how little has been done to address this issue. The satirical [snorts] newspaper The Onion started posting the same headline after many major mass shootings. The headline reads, "No way to prevent this says only nation where this regularly happens. Since 2014, they've posted this headline 39 times. We know there will be a 40th. It's just a question of where and when. So, in the absence of any meaningful action to prevent shootings from happening, we in the public school system are stuck trying to come up with a way to respond to it. And so, now we have lockdown drills. We practice what to do if someone open fires in the school with a weapon that can fire 45 to 60 bullets in a minute. As you've heard from some of our students, we as teachers, we're supposed to get as many students as possible into our classrooms. We lock the door. We turn off the lights. We hide in a corner sitting in silence contemplating what we would do if the glass windows or in some cases glass walls of the classroom were shot through and the gunman entered. The lockdown drill of course comes with its own perils triggering anxiety and panic attacks in many of our students. But perhaps most vivid words I could use to explain the emotional toll of our current reality come from a parent who emailed me to explain why her daughter was absent from my class on the day after a false alarm put us into lockdown. She writes, "My daughter was gravely impacted by the lockdown on Tuesday. She truly thought she was going to die in your classroom. She grabbed

her water bottle and she was ready to fight to her death, hoping she could knock the gunman out with a hard swing to the head. She was plotting how to play dead or how to recruit boys to help her in a defensive attack. She was pondering her life, what she has done, what she had wished she had done, and what she will miss in life if she is killed. To add to it, her sister was in the classroom next door. My daughter was playing out what would happen if the gunman went to her sister's room or to hers and the impact it would have on the surviving sister. The next day, when she was headed to her classroom, the trauma flooded back in. She turned around and cried her way out the door. So this is the impact our lack of action on gun violence has had on students in our community. And so I ask, is this really the best we can do in the United States of America? To tell our kids to practice hiding this state of affairs is shameful and embarrassing. We owe it to our kids to do better. And I'm hoping that you as leaders will vote to take a step in the right direction by passing this ordinance. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Sanger. It was nice to hear from you uh after all the accolades you get from the kids at those uh National Merit Scholar favorite teacher award. You you've you've had many of them. But you never get to say anything. You just stand up and they get recognized. So good evening.

Good evening. Uh my name is Joy Dunan. I'm also a teacher at ED Dina. Um, and I'm also the adviser for our students to man action uh group and I'm also just here as a private citizen that cares about Edina. Um, I grew up in St. Paul, but my parents and brothers actually moved here from Liberia. Um, and if you know anything about Liberian history, there was a brutal civil war that happened. Um, essentially they were pushed out of the place that they really loved and called home. And a big part of what made this war so brutal was the assault weapons that had been floating through and passed around um just different citizens that then ended up kind of turning against their neighbors. Um it's something [clears throat] that my family doesn't really talk about deeply. Um so I've kind of exhausted the authentic ways that I can share that part of their story. Um, however, their PTSD from the war and from being around these assault weapons and kind of their last years in Liberia impacted how they raised me around guns. Um, they it was kind of like a a you don't ask about it. You don't really say the word gun in my household. Um, and I didn't think much about it until I was in college and thought I was going to be a nurse and then maybe disappointed my mom a little bit when I told her, I think I'm going to go into education. I'm going to be a teacher. Um, and I'll never forget that conversation because she went silent on the phone. I'm like, there's my mom being dramatic again. And she goes, you know, they shoot people in schools. Um, and it kind of dawned on me that I'd been desensitized and my mom had become hyper aware of guns, even though it wasn't really something we actively discussed. Um, it's kind of since

colored our regular check-ins and has turned into um like a how are you doing, Joy? How's work? And it has this air of is it safe at school? Is there anything that I need to worry about? Um, and it's just kind of always been this constant thing in the background. I know that there are many steps that we still need to take as a community. Um, and that passing one ordinance might not be the the perfect answer right now, but as a history teacher, I must believe that the combination of grassroots movements like Moms Demand Action, Students Demand Action, um, partnering with the government, um, leads to tangible change. Um, so I urge you to pass this ordinance. Thank you for your time.

Yeah. Thanks. Thanks, Miss Dom. Good evening.

Good evening. Uh, my name is Julia Hennean. I'm an Adina resident. I'm parent to a toddler. I'm also a pediatric critical care doctor. My time as a physician has been marked by exposure to gun violence, particularly the destruction of the human body that is all but guaranteed by high-capacity magazines and assault weapons. in Rhode Island in medical school almost exactly 13 years ago. I was doing a rotation in trauma surgery. When we got news about the Sandy Hook shooting, the whole team prepared trauma bays, operating rooms, and everything else in anticipation of potentially receiving victims. There were not enough survivors to meet us. There were so many bodies that were destroyed before help arrived. Those same trauma bays and operating rooms have seen many victims of gun violence in the interim, including the Brown University shooting about a month ago. Throughout my career, I have cared for children critically injured by guns, whether accidentally or intentionally in multiple states. I have pronounced children dead after school shootings. I have cared for a toddler and an older sibling at the same time, both irreversibly injured by an unsecured gun and the toddler's curiosity. I have tried to use my hands to plug holes in central blood vessels, to coax a heart into beating again, to thread a breathing tube through what used to be the lower part of a face. I have tossed more than one pair of shoes because they were soaked with blood and other body tissues of these children. I have reminded families that they cannot hold their dead child's hand one last time because law enforcement places bags over them to preserve evidence. I have been haunted by the screams of relatives begging for their child to be able to walk again, to still be alive, to do things that I cannot do and no one can do. Those screams are the same regardless of their political beliefs,

their religious beliefs, the color of their skin. All of these children and the many more that I haven't talked about, and their families deserve the opportunity to play, to learn, to grow in environments where they are safe. Safe from guns that were improperly stored, meaning an elementary schooler who accidentally killed her grandmother. Safe from guns that shoot militaryra ammunition obliterating livers, spleens, lungs, hearts, brains, and lives. Safe from guns which allowed a teenager to impulsively choose to end his own life with a firearm his father protect father bought to protect his family. Safe from learning about the psychological burden carried by survivors of gun violence. Firearms are the number one cause of death of American children and adolescence. It doesn't have to be this way. My father tells everyone that I'm the kind of doctor that you never want to meet. This is a way that you don't have to meet me. Thank you for your consideration.

Thank you, doctor. [clears throat]

My name is Wayne Carlson. I live in Adina. I graduated from Brown University in 1965. I went in the Marine Corp and had two friends. One of them was a champion NCAA swimmer. He went to Vietnam, got blown apart, and none of his all some of his parts never came back. Another friend of mine was a first lieutenant. When I was a second lieutenant, his father was an admiral in the Navy. He went to Annapolis and he got out of Annapolis. He was the most brilliant person that I'd ever seen. He wanted to be a general in the Marine Corps. He went to Vietnam as an adviser. The Vietnamese ran. He was captured along with his first sergeant. They cut his balls off, put them in their mouth, and blew their brains out. I found about out about it in the Time magazine. Just recently at Brown, we had two people killed. Now, you think of these people, they have gone through school. They worked their asses off to get to there. The curricular they've gone through. They paid a h 100,000 a year. [snorts] The one sen senior paid $300,000 was going to be a brain surgeon. What did we lose here? Maybe someone would found out about Alzheimer's or some other illness. The other was a young lady who was potentially a politician. What could she have done in leadership? What could she contribute? What could the the people that she produced? What kind of what kind of children could she have had that could have made an impact on our society? The point the point is that we we are

losing people that have skills and abilities and we're not doing anything about it. Um, you know, we know that politicians get paid by the guns lobby and they get a tag to go out and kill a number of people. That's what we got going on in this country. And we can't expect that our politicians to do anything. So, I'm going to ask for one small thing that comes out of this that we have anyone that's going to buy a gun with any 45 days has to go through gun safety treatments. I grew up in a farm. When I shot a pig or I shot a cow to eat, I knew that they never got up. It's not like a video game. So we need to maybe hopefully someone going to assign a safety program but realize that maybe maybe they won't do the violence that they're thinking about doing right now. So hopefully for something simple. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. Carlson. Firearms are more accessible than any point in our history. And that accessibility has consequences. My name is Julie Green and I am our Edina State Representative. And here is what I am hearing from our community members and neighbors. And with their permission, I am sharing this. As a parent of a child at Annunciation Catholic School, the recent shooting has left our family traumatized, fearful, and struggling to comprehend how such violence can happen in a place we trust to nurture and protect our children. Gun violence is not just a statistic for us. It is a daily reality that has shaken our sense of safety and shaken our community. Another, as a public school educator, not a day goes by that I don't think about what would happen if violence came to my school. Another as a licensed therapist who has worked in schools, students are terrified of a school shooting happening. They describe hyper vigilance just walking between classes looking for exits in all rooms. Another I find myself in a deep state of depression and anxiety. My heart breaks that we cannot pull together and make changes to lessen gun deaths. How do we win? Best place to live or retire without a ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines. Another the shooter began firing at the doors just outside that room. We were told she may have fainted as they tried to barricade the door with whatever they could find, juice boxes among them, because there is no heavy furniture in a preschool room. Another I vividly remember when my youngest child was about seven years old. They were playing school with a friend. Their

play included a lockdown drill. I had to leave the room because I started to cry. And another. My 8-year-old daughter hid under a pew and asked her fifth grade buddy, "Is this a war? [snorts] This is personal. Political firearm violence is rising. My dear colleague Melissa Hortman [snorts] and her husband Mark were gunned down in their talk just this past June. The gunman carried three AK-47 assault rifles, assault style weapons, weapons of war. [snorts] My name and my husband's name were also on his hit list. Earlier this year, the Journal of the American Medical Association convened 60 thought leaders to define a bold innovation roadmap envisioning a 2040 America where firearm violence is one substantially reduced and two that every community feels safe. Organized, knowledgeable commu communities drive change. I'll say that again. Organized, knowledgeable communities drive change. When civic engagement and government action move together, real progress follows. And a 2040 vision becomes achievable. And to get there, we must all be allin at every level. And as a fellow elected and someone who works in

the state legislature, you better be damn sure I'm going to work my ass off down at that legislature to get some more stuff passed. Thanks, Green.

Good evening. My my name is Raymond Stein. Uh I'm an Adina resident. Uh but tonight I'm speaking to you as a father of two uh young children. My daughters are five and seven and they're students at Normanddale Elementary and they also have a cousin or cousins who were our students at Annunciation. And on that day we found ourselves grateful that their cousin was only wounded. She now has a large scar on her arm. And as a father, I had hoped to avoid having to have the conversation about school and and gun violence a little bit longer. But given that there is a visible scar on their cousin and given that there was a lockdown at Normandale, our children knew something horrible had happened and my wife and I had to be honest with them about their safety. My oldest daughter is seven and she's anyone who knows her, the first thing you would realize about her is just how imaginative she is. And that imagination can get directed towards something really scary. And as they would go to sleep in the weeks after annunciation, my daughters would think about what would happen if something happened at their school. Given the se, you know, seriousness of this topic, I I did not want to lie to my children. I didn't want to tell them that it would not happen. I did not tell want to tell them that they'd be perfectly safe. But anyone who's a parent knows that there's a difference between lying to your children and misdirecting their attention to something else. And so I created a game which I now think of as the worst and saddest game ever invented called Think of the Helpers. And as they

go to sleep, if they need to think about something, we take turns one after another, listing the helpers who would help if there was a school shooting. So we start with first responders, start with the police, firefighters, EMT. We move on to the principal, teachers, and on the really bad nights, they're not going to sleep fast enough. And so you just start listing people, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, anyone in their adult sphere who they believe would help them when they were in danger. I work in technology. I'm a sales executive. We've played this game for a long time and I've never been listed, but I thought tonight would be a small way for me to maybe pencil myself in there. I support this ordinance. I believe it's a good ordinance. The arguments against it seem to be future facing. What would happen if we passed it or what might not happen? You know, we may not solve gun violence. We may have preeemption. Those are besides the point. The point is the list of helpers works because it has symbolic value for children and peoples in the community to know that they live in a safe community. I'm hoping to put myself on that list tonight and I urge you to think about including yourself on it as well. Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Stein.

Hi, I'm Kathy Riley, an Adina resident, a mom of two children in Edina public schools, and a volunteer with the new Moms Demand Action Group in Edina. I'm so [clears throat] proud to be a part of this group that has gained 365 members seemingly overnight. The fear of gun violence in schools has weighed heavily on me since my husband and I sent our oldest child to kindergarten seven years ago. Like so many parents, I prayed for my children's safety while continue to hear continuing to hear heartbreaking news from across our country. From Sandy Hook to Parkland to Rob Elementary School. When the tragedy at Annunciation happened three months ago, it deeply shook our community. We showed up with broken hearts to support our friends, neighbors, and colleagues. None of these families should have had to deal with what they dealt with that day and continue to go through as you heard tonight as their lives are forever changed. I think we can all agree that children deserve to be safe, especially in school and in church. And it's our job, our job, our collective job to keep them that way. What's been especially hard for me is seeing this fear in our kids. They listen to the stories on the news. They've heard from friends about what it was be like to be sitting in church at Annunciation that sunny Wednesday morning. My third grader now asked questions I never expected to hear. Questions like, "Why would anyone hurt kids, Mom? That doesn't make any sense." And the hardest one for me to answer honestly, "Mom, is school even safe to go to? Am I even safe at school?" She's 8 years old living in Edina, Minnesota. That doesn't feel right on any level. As a community, Edina leads in so many ways. From education to sports to our parks, we have the opportunity and the

responsibility to lead when it comes to protecting our children from gun violence. Guns are the leading cause of death in children in the US. Assault weapons, large capacity magazines make these tragedies so much worse. both in the numbers of round shots and the impact to the bodies that you've heard from from our medical community tonight. We need [clears throat] to do something about this and we need to do it urgently. I ask each of you to be brave and pass this ordinance. Thank you. Thank you, Kevin.

Good evening.

Hello. Good evening. I'm Bill Kemer. I'm a Adina resident and a retired scientist. I'm not a constitutional lawyer. So, I find it interesting that people are saying, some people are saying that you should not pass this ordinance because it will run a foul of the Second Amendment. But I'm puzzled by that because when I read the Second Amendment, it doesn't say people have the right to bear any kinds of arms they want, whatever they are, weapons of war included. Well, if that's the case, then I think the school shooters around the country, including here at Enunciation, are missing a boat. You know, you could kill a lot more people a lot faster from a safer distance by lobbing a rocket grenade into a church or a bazooka into one of our children, our Adina public school classrooms. And if you'd say, "No, that's absurd. You're taking this argument to the extreme." We draw the line there. But when you want to draw the line about assault weapons, other weapons of war, assault rifles, high-capacity magazines, oh, can't do that. That would be in conflict with the Second Amendment. I don't buy that argument, and I hope you won't either. Thank you.

Thank you, Mr. C.

Good evening.

My name is Michael Orange. I'm here to represent the local chapter 27 of Veterans for Peace. And in terms of the legalities that you've heard here from the those speaking in opposition to this ordinance, your city attorney can tell you that's BS. Um, but I have a story for you about my experience. Soon after being deployed to Vietnam in 1969, I was on guard duty in a tower about 20 feet in the air. And I was close to the entrance to my fire support base. Right inside that entrance, the Vietnamese who lived in a village nearby would come and they would give us haircuts. They would they would wash our clothes and primarily women would bring their children. In this guard tower, I noticed something unusual that day. There were two young boys, maybe seven, eight, nine years old, who instead of staying in their little shack by the entrance, had moved onto the base and were rumaging around in a trash can that was located right next to one of the tents that we Marines took our off duty. We slept there when we're off duty. And then they began to scurry back toward the entrance, which caught my attention. And then a bomb went off in that can and it blew away the tent and blew three Marines that were off duty into the air. And I acted instinctively, raising my M16, switching it off of safe onto semi-automatic, and started to track the two boys. But I could not pull my trigger. They were children.

But my fellow Marines did not hesitate. And 30 feet away, I saw what assault weapon, high-powered assault weapon rounds do to small children. It ripped their bodies apart. It exploded their bodies. It destroyed their faces. You have to understand the AR-15 assault rifle was a predecessor to the M16 I fired in Vietnam. The civilian version is more powerful than the current standard issue assault weapons that the military uses. That's an M4, not an M16. An AR-15 is more powerful. and the rounds from an AR-14 15, I'm sorry, an AR-15 tumble and fragment upon impact. That's why you see these horrible injuries that you've been hearing about this evening. That's why you have to do everything you can to keep your city safe from these weapons of war.

Thank you, Mr. George. Good evening, members of the city council. Yeah, good evening.

My name is Dr. Sarah Prebble. I'm a physician, a mother, and a member of the dining community. I'm here because gun violence is a public health crisis and it's harming our children. As a physician, I'm trained to use evidence-based practices, and the evidence shows us that firearms are the leading cause of death for children and adolescence in the US. This is not inevitable. It is the result of policy choices and access to extremely dangerous weapons. Assault style rifles are designed to cause maximum harm in seconds. You've heard this from numerous different people from our veterans to our pediatric trauma surgeons to our pediatric ICU docs. So, I don't want to go in and repeat those things, but it's catastrophic. What I want to emphasize is the importance of secure firearm storage. I'm the adina lead for BS smart, which is an educational campaign promoting secure gun storage as a way to decrease gun deaths in children. Unlocked or improperly stored guns put children at risk of firearm injury and death. It also increases their risk of completed suicides. Safe storage saves lives and any meaningful approach to gun safety must include it. Approving an ordinance that restricts assault rifles and promotes responsible gun ownership is responsible evidence-based step to reduce harm. It respects rights while prioritizing public safety, especially the safety of our children. I urge you to support this ordinance and take action to protect the health and lives of our community's families. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, [clears throat] doctor. Good evening.

Evening. Um, I'm James Weston, Edina resident. U, grew up here. Uh, also father of three. Um, but I just wanted to let you know that, um, I am a supporter of second amendment rights to a point. Um, I have a, uh, you know, grew up with a 22 caliber rifle. We shot that, did target practice. Um, our boys go to scout camp um during the summertime and they they do responsible um gun safety where they they do their 22 shooting. Um, they do um shooting with um uh like trap shooting, so shooting that up in the air. Um, but they're doing it responsibly. Um, and I support anybody um who likes to do guns for sport um for hunting um or for personal safety. Um, however, however, um, I do not support, um, anything further as in um, the the guns that are designed for military use. Um, I believe that that is too far um, because it is a um, danger to society. Um, and guns like the AR-15, they were designed for for the military, not for hunting, not for sport, not for self-defense. Um, and guns require rules to be safe. Um, duck hunters know um there are capacity um requirements that they only are allowed to have three um casings in a duck hunting gun when you go out and shoot with it. Um why is that not in effect for like an AR-15? Um seems kind of funny to me that duck hunters do this and we don't uh require this for um AR-15s or military style um guns. Um thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. Wilson. Good evening. Thanks for your patience here. Everybody that's been standing in line, I wanted to thank all of you for Thank you for your patience.

Um I just before I begin, I I have been incredibly moved this evening and I'm thankful for all the people who have shared. Um my name is Corey Hickner Johnson. I have been a resident of Edina for almost five years. When I became a mother just over eight years ago, it became my job to protect my daughter. It is my duty and my right as a mother to keep my daughter safe. This right is not listed in any law or constitution. It's a right so instinctual and so basic. Mothers protect their babies. I stand here today speaking to you because I cannot protect my daughter in the ways that I am meant to and that is wrong. My dear friend Rose could not protect her three children on August 27th, 2025 during the school shooting at Enunciation just miles away from here. Rose [snorts] was at work providing for her family like mothers do while her children were at school. After being informed of the shooting by colleagues, Rose did not know if her three children were alive. Can you imagine not knowing if your children were dead or alive? My friend Rose's children are resilient with loving parents, and they will endure. But no child should have to witness their classmates shot dead, as our students here today so bravely have shared. As mothers, our right to protect our children, our right to keep our children alive is at odds with current laws allowing buying and selling of assault rifles. What kind of place is this? And what kind of world where a weapon is more worthy than a child's life? My mom's demand action is nearly seven

years old. It's got some pit stains. I've been trying throughout the years to understand this whole time what advocates for assault rifles are trying to protect. I can't seem to locate any sources on assault rifles saving the lives of children. And I'm a researcher. I have a PhD. I can't find anything. I can, however, open my phone on many days of the year and read about child deaths due to assault rifles. The fact of the matter is that these guns are being used to kill kids. We need to wake up. And so I implore you, city council, as a mother whose fundamental job in life is to protect children. I implore you to regulate assault weapons, large capacity magazines, and ghost guns within the city. I'm sure there are many cavi caveats and bureaucratic considerations as um our city attorney explained and I don't entirely understand but I'm asking you to do what you can do to protect our kids. This is our job and I think it's our most important job that we have.

Thank you, Miss Johnson. Uh, Mayor Hland and members of the council and Chief Milbourne and members of the police, thank you all for your public service uh to this wonderful city. Uh, my name is Tony Graham and I'm a parent of three and an Adina resident. Um, I've also lived in 10 countries outside the United States, including dictatorships and democracies, developing and developed countries alike. Um, and America is embarrassingly and inexcusably alone with regard to the frequency and the quantum of gun violence. This is a uniquely American problem and it's because in America it is easier to it is easier to legally own a weapon of war than it is to drive a car. And so the notion that people are somehow mental health is the problem rather than guns is as nonsensical as it is offensive to the countless victims of gun violence and their grieving loved ones. It's demonstrably wrong and it's beneath any reasonable person's consideration. So, we're not talking about hunting weapons. We're talking about weapons of war. And there is no reason for any civilian to possess a weapon of war. Not in Dina, not in Minnesota, and not anywhere in the United States. And all measures to prevent access to these weapons are worthwhile, whether they are federal measures or state or local. And so as an Edina resident and as a voter and as someone who knows how needless and preventable gun violence is, I urge you to pass this ordinance. Thank you.

Yeah. Thank you, Mr. Graham.

Perfect. Yep. Good evening.

Good evening. Hi, my name is Jennifer McCormack. I am an Adina resident and my kids have gone to Edina schools, one currently, too. I just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to speak tonight about this incredibly important issue. We've heard from many with heartfelt and gut-wrenching accounts of gun violence. It's to me sad and it's shameful, but I wanted to simply make the point that this ordinance is inherently reasonable. About 20 years ago, Minnesota or Minneapolis banned smoking in public places, including restaurants. leaders determined at that time that one person's right to smoke should not be the problem of those who don't smoke. That same argument applies to guns. Just because someone wants to own a gun doesn't mean that I no longer have the ability to be safe. Assault weapons and high-capacity magazines need to be banned in Edina. This ordinance ordinance is reasonable and I urge you to pass it. Thank you.

Thank you. Thank you, Mr. requ.

Good evening. Good evening. Uh my name's Emily Thorson. Oh, sorry. Sorry. But let this person I I missed you on the other side there. Oh, gotcha. Okay. All right. Okay. Yeah. Thanks for the reminder.

Um [clears throat] my name is Emily Thorson. I'm a long lived most of my life in Edina. I have a 5-year-old boy and a three-year-old girl. and I have a sense of terror about my son going to kindergarten. Um, I feel like I've kept him in this little cocoon and this thought of him going out to school, which should be maybe a little sad but mostly exciting um should not feel terrifying. Um, part of this terror is related to the firsthand experience or I should say secondhand experience um of a good friend we have whose daughters go to enunciation. Um, my friend's daughter was sitting next to Harper when she died in the pew right next to her. And she has uh this reoccurring thought of if she had been, you know, leaning back instead of forward, would the outcome have been different? And they're living with that um trauma. And it it felt so close. I think I've always had this cognitive understanding of that fear, but I've been feeling it in my body ever since the annunciation shooting happened. Um, and I I would ask this council to I believe the ordinance is reasonable. And I believe there's a lot of moms that probably couldn't come tonight because they're we're making dinner and doing bedtime. And my husband's doing bedtime right now. And I guarantee it's not going well. But I [laughter] I felt like it was important for me to be here tonight. So, thank you so much.

Yeah. Thanks, Emily. Now, now we'll go to this other side again.

Hello, Janie Weston. Um um since when were you shooting guns at the cabin? That was not when I was there. Um, anyway, I'm only at this mic because I think at this time to sign um to vote for this ordinance, um, it it's a useless thing to do at this point. What I would love to see is all of these people that are coming up to speak tonight, this needs to be done at the state level. And I'm so glad Julie Green came and spoke. Um, we can't do anything locally until the state does it. They have the authority over our municipality and every m municipality in the state. We have to put our efforts toward state level and from there go on to national to the federal level. I have lived in a country, Japan, for a year as an exchange student, post high school, precol. I know what it feels like to live in a country where nobody has a gun. I felt safe no matter where I was. 10 o'clock at night walking down the street in the Goya, Japan. I had no worries that I would be assaulted or shot. I did not realize how wonderful that feeling was until I came back and walking down Main Street Hopkins. I remember this moment clearly. I suddenly realize, "Oh my gosh,

I feel like I have to look over my shoulder. I don't know who might have a gun. I could be shot." And that I did not have as a gut feel in Japan. Our country as occupying forces after World War II required everyone in Japan turn over every single gun, also their samurai swords because they're pretty lethal. And that was Japan going cold turkey. And it worked because in 1958, 13 years later, they passed a national law that put such tight controls over who could even own any type of gun. That is why Japan is so safe now. They do not have school shootings. They do not have mass shootings. Why can't we do that? And the big problem is our second amendment and how it is constantly being interpreted now where the second half of that is lpped off.

Mstone, I need to wrap you wrap up your comments. There is a second half of the right to bear arms in a well- reggulated militia and it's being ignored. We need to do our efforts statewide than federal. Thank you. You evening. You may you may be the last voice. I'm not sure.

I might be. I have to end on this side of the room. Um hi. Hi everyone. My name is Ann Whitty and I've been a member of the Adina community for about four years. Um I would like to just start my comments by saying I do feel like I'm probably the least qualified person. We've had a lot of people tonight who are doctors, lawyers, um who have had direct experience of the families at enunciation. Um I am here to give voice to the smaller day-to-day impacts of gun violence. Um I've never owned a gun and I've never been exposed to one outside of a hunting context. But about four years ago, after decades of watching the aftermath of mass shootings, um time and time again, I became aware that I had developed significant anxiety around guns and public safety. Um, like me many members of the Adina community, I have lived a fairly sheltered life. Um, a pretty safe life. Um, I've always lived in safe communities, and thankfully, I've always felt safe with those I surround myself by. Um, and yet about four years ago, I had the experience within a six-month period of receiving two emergency alerts from my employer, um, where I was texted informing me that a shooting had been recorded very close to my home location and they were asking me to confirm my safety. After receiving the text for the second time in a very short period, I started counting up the number of places that I had been where mass shootings had occurred, and I realized that despite my pretty sheltered existence, that tally was nine. the Mall of America, mall on the Miracle Mile in Chicago, a bar in the suburbs of Chicago where my in-laws live, a grocery store in Boulder, a school in Iowa, and more. This realization made it very real to me at that time how close literally anybody, including myself, could be to the next tragedy, an ugly reality that our community came way too close to face to face with in August. This anxiety has impacted the way I live um and in unfortunate ways for me as a

community member and I feel our broader community. I love the Adina Theater, but I don't go. I'm anxious in grocery stores and opt more for grocery delivery. I don't shop at the Galleria or other malls. I don't love going to community parades even though I've got young kids and would love to go. I wish none of this was so and I wish I could say that I didn't know friends who thought similarly. I've got two young kids with one more on the way and I've dreaded the day that I hear about from other parents where I need to talk to my kids about guns like in the con likely in the context of school shootings and lockdowns. My oldest is four and I thought I had years to face this conversation. But yet a week and a half ago, the morning after Christmas, my daughter came down the stairs and asked me what guns are. I have no idea what prompted this. I've made sure to never use the word gun in my house. She does not see them on TV. My kids will never own a toy gun. And I have no idea what made her think of this the morning after Santa arrived, but she said that the boys in preschool talk about them. That she didn't know what they were, but they didn't sound good. I believe children are a product of parenting and their broader culture. And I stand here today positively resentful that a four-year-old child in this community is both knowledgeable and fearful of guns. [clears throat] And that I have to navigate through with my kids. and that all of these parents have to navigate through with theirs. How to talk about this topic when we can hardly navigate it on our own. I believe this is a failure of society and I believe every one of us is responsible for doing whatever we can to implement change however we can. I do recognize as some have pointed out that any actions that Adina can take are small and imperfect. I understand that there are firearm friendly state and federal laws that should be changed that our community is subject to. And I understand there are complications imposed by preeemption. But I also understand that if every community takes

no action, nothing will ever change. I have you I need you to wrap up your comments. We owe it to the enunciation community, to our own kids, and to ourselves to use all of the tools in our toolkit. And this is something within the power of this council. Um, I do hope Adina passes the ordinance. Um, and I hope that that inspires other communities like St. Paul um or similar to St. Paul um to take similar actions themselves. Thank you. Thank you. Thanks. Now, you may have been the last person in the chambers to speak. We'll see. But we we've got folks to look at or visit with maybe online. We've got a little extra time 20 minutes or so. Do we have anybody online that wishes to testify?

I do have a caller tonight. Um caller, I am unmuting your line. Please begin by stating your full name and then spelling your full name for us beginning before beginning your remarks. Please go ahead. Am I on right now? You are.

Uh my name is Kirk Adalan. Um last name A D A Len. Um live in Edina. Grew up in Edina. Just first off, I want to thank um the city council for having this meeting. I think it's really important for Edina residents to be able to speak their opinions and their voices with everybody respectfully doing that. Um I would just like to um identify some of the facts. I see them surrounding the issue before us. Um number one, there is a tremendous amount of anger, sadness, and fear surrounding this issue. Um, number two, every single person in this meeting wants gun violence to end. I I think that is clear. Um, number three, right or wrong, under current state and federal law, you as Edina City Council members have no legal ability or authority to pass gun regulations. I would strongly encourage you to pass a proclamation that supports all of the regulations outlined in the proposed ordinance. It will accomplish the same goal. Uh, and then I would strongly encourage you to put more pressure on the state and federal elected officials that represent Edina and Minnesota to enact common sense gun regulation. They are the ones that have the control and ability to affect change. Thank you very much.

Thank you, Mr. Dolan. Anyone else? Okay, folks. If there's anyone else that wishes to testify that hasn't testified before, you're more than welcome. Here we got a few minutes coming forward. As I mentioned earlier, we're going to take this matter up at the January 20th meeting. Um, and really appreciate tonight all the testimony that has taken place. I think uh the views that we have heard this evening have been so helpful for all of us to kind of share together and someone mentioned that I I think early on and when member Pierce suggested that we have this public hearing. I didn't think about the depth of the storytelling that we would hear. Uh but it's been really impactful tonight on on both sides. you know as people think about this issue and and we have seen their different differing views on this issue uh settling it along some in some cases legal lines some cases along mental health lines in many cases I think the challenge of us doing something standing for something you know not just admiring the problem but standing for something and so that's what our job is going to be on the 20th of January is to have that conversation Uh and I think just you know when you when you've listened to the testimony tonight you think about it from a public health perspective we don't ask ourselves from a public health pers perspective can we eliminate all injury you ask can we reduce the severity and frequency of catastro catastrophic events and so I think for a lot of the people in the room I think they're thinking even if we can reduce the scale of the harm but not pretend to eliminate all the harm let's

get going in that direction because regulation really isn't about creating a world with no violence. It's about changing what's possible in a few minutes of violence. And that's what that's what we need to think about. And and what what settled in with me despite the testimony that I've heard on both sides tonight is that and I think Mr. Graham kind of alluded to it from living in other countries. Um, we don't have any greater incidence of mental health problems than any other country in the world, but we're there's a lot more people getting killed here with military-style assault weapons than anywhere in the world. So, to say that guns aren't a factor here is denying the reality of what is indeed going on. Uh, so we'll take this up on the 20th of January. Uh, we thank you all for being here. Uh it's been really an engaging and extraordinarily important evening I think for all of us. I've got uh a whole tablet filled with notes from all of you and I appreciate all of the things that you've that you've uh helped us with tonight in giving us guidance on how to have the conversation on the 20th of January. So uh if there's nothing further from my colleagues, I'll entertain a motion to adjurnn. So moved.

Second. Got a motion by member Agnu, second by member Pierce to adjourn the meeting of the city council this 6th day of January 2026. Any further discussion? All those in favor of adjournment say I. I. [applause]