Minneapolis council pushes test-case gun ordinance
The Minneapolis City Council's Committee of the Whole voted unanimously to send a sweeping gun control ordinance to the full council for a Thursday vote, though state law may limit its enforceability. (fox9.com)
The proposal would ban assault weapons, high-capacity magazines and ghost guns, tighten public-carry rules, require safe storage and mandate reporting of lost or stolen firearms inside Minneapolis. The proposal drew near-universal public support at the hearing, including parents of children affected by the August 2025 Annunciation shooting and a man shot four times at a birthday party, and officials acknowledged Minnesota law likely preempts local firearm rules.
The episode traces back to the Aug. 27, 2025 mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School, which killed two children and injured 21 people and prompted parents and survivors to demand bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. With the state legislature stalled, St. Paul passed a similar ordinance on Nov. 13, 2025, and the Minnesota Senate later passed a sweeping package on May 4, 2026 that did not advance in the Republican-led House.
Opponents online argue the ordinance is unconstitutional and predict it will be overturned, while supporters say the measure signals city priorities and prepares Minneapolis for any future change in state authority under Minnesota Statutes section 471.633. (fox9.com)
Show source details & analysis (1 source)
📊 Relevant Data
In the August 2025 mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, two children were killed and 21 people were injured, including 18 children between the ages of 6 and 15 and three adults in their 80s. ([City of Minneapolis](https://www.minneapolismn.gov/resident-services/public-safety/city-emergency/shooting-august-27)) ([City of Minneapolis](https://www.minneapolismn.gov/resident-services/public-safety/city-emergency/shooting-august-27)) ([City of Minneapolis](https://www.minneapolismn.gov/resident-services/public-safety/city-emergency/shooting-august-27)) ([City of Minneapolis](https://www.minneapolismn.gov/resident-services/public-safety/city-emergency/shooting-august-27)) ([City of Minneapolis](https://www.minneapolismn.gov/resident-services/public-safety/city-emergency/shooting-august-27)) ([City of Minneapolis](https://www.minneapolismn.gov/resident-services/public-safety/city-emergency/shooting-august-27)) ([City of Minneapolis](https://www.minneapolismn.gov/resident-services/public-safety/city-emergency/shooting-august-27))
Shooting at Annunciation Church on August 27 — City of Minneapolis
Minneapolis recorded 64 homicides in 2025, down from 77 in 2024, with gunshot wound victims decreasing by 18% over the same period. ([FOX 9](https://www.fox9.com/news/mpd-chief-2025-crime-report-jan-2026)) ([FOX 9](https://www.fox9.com/news/mpd-chief-2025-crime-report-jan-2026)) ([FOX 9](https://www.fox9.com/news/mpd-chief-2025-crime-report-jan-2026)) ([FOX 9](https://www.fox9.com/news/mpd-chief-2025-crime-report-jan-2026)) ([FOX 9](https://www.fox9.com/news/mpd-chief-2025-crime-report-jan-2026)) ([FOX 9](https://www.fox9.com/news/mpd-chief-2025-crime-report-jan-2026)) ([FOX 9](https://www.fox9.com/news/mpd-chief-2025-crime-report-jan-2026))
MPD Chief Brian O'Hara on 2025 crime: 'Our city is ...' — FOX 9
In 2023, roughly 79% of shooting victims in Minneapolis were Black, while Black residents comprise about 19% of the city's population. ([MinnPost](https://www.minnpost.com/race-health-equity/2024/04/the-ripple-effects-of-gun-violence-in-minnesota)) ([MinnPost](https://www.minnpost.com/race-health-equity/2024/04/the-ripple-effects-of-gun-violence-in-minnesota)) ([MinnPost](https://www.minnpost.com/race-health-equity/2024/04/the-ripple-effects-of-gun-violence-in-minnesota)) ([MinnPost](https://www.minnpost.com/race-health-equity/2024/04/the-ripple-effects-of-gun-violence-in-minnesota)) ([MinnPost](https://www.minnpost.com/race-health-equity/2024/04/the-ripple-effects-of-gun-violence-in-minnesota)) ([MinnPost](https://www.minnpost.com/race-health-equity/2024/04/the-ripple-effects-of-gun-violence-in-minnesota)) ([MinnPost](https://www.minnpost.com/race-health-equity/2024/04/the-ripple-effects-of-gun-violence-in-minnesota))
Minnesota Statutes section 471.633 preempts local authority over firearms regulation by cities, counties, and towns, with limited exceptions such as regulations on firearm discharge. ([Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/471.633)) ([Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/471.633)) ([Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/471.633)) ([Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/471.633)) ([Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/471.633)) ([Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/471.633)) ([Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes](https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/471.633))
Sec. 471.633 MN Statutes — Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes
📌 Key Facts
- The Minneapolis City Council’s Committee of the Whole voted unanimously to send a gun control ordinance to the full council for a Thursday vote.
- The proposal would ban assault weapons, high‑capacity magazines and ghost guns, tighten public‑carry rules, mandate safe storage and require reporting of lost or stolen firearms within city limits.
- Nearly all public commenters at the hearing supported the ordinance, including Annunciation School parents affected by the August 2025 mass shooting and a man shot four times at a birthday party.
- Officials concede Minnesota state law preempts local firearm regulation, so the ordinance may not be enforceable but is intended to signal local priorities and prepare for any future change in state authority.
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