After a tragic school shooting in Minneapolis left two children dead and 17 injured, Senator Tina Smith erupted at Health Secretary RFK Jr. for blaming antidepressants instead of guns, calling his remarks “bullsh*t” and demanding his firing, reflecting nationwide outrage at politicians prioritizing gun lobby interests over children’s lives.

The nation was left reeling after yet another tragic act of gun violence, this time at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, where a gunman opened fire during a Sunday mass service, killing two children—an eight-year-old girl and a ten-year-old boy—and injuring 17 others.

The shooter, who police say carried a rifle, shotgun, and a pistol, was later killed at the scene.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara described the attack as one of the deadliest school-related shootings the city has seen in years.

The massacre immediately reignited debates over gun control, mental health, and political accountability, with one fiery confrontation between Minnesota Senator Tina Smith and MAGA-aligned Health Secretary Robert F.

Kennedy Jr. dominating headlines.

In the hours following the attack, Kennedy Jr.

appeared on Fox News, where he claimed that psychiatric medications—particularly SSRIs and other commonly prescribed antidepressants—might play a role in driving violence in America.

“We’re launching studies on the potential contribution of some of the SSRI drugs and some of the other psychiatric drugs that might be contributing to violence,” he said.

His remarks sparked outrage online, especially among those who saw his comments as an attempt to deflect responsibility away from firearms.

Senator Smith, a Democrat from Minnesota who has long been outspoken on gun violence prevention, unleashed a blistering response on X, formerly Twitter.

Quote-tweeting Kennedy’s Fox News interview, Smith wrote: “I dare you to go to Annunciation School and tell our grieving community, in effect, guns don’t kill kids, antidepressants do.

Just shut up.

Stop peddling bullsh*t. You should be fired.”

She followed up with an additional post that cut directly to the heart of the gun crisis in America: “There are 400 million guns in this country.

More guns than people.

In America, we are ten times more likely to be shot in a school or playground than any other developed nation.

” Her remarks quickly went viral, drawing support from gun safety advocates, fellow Democrats, and survivors of gun violence.

Kennedy Jr., who was controversially tapped by the Republican administration earlier this year as Health Secretary despite his history of promoting conspiracy theories on vaccines and public health, has made mental health reform one of his talking points.

But critics say his latest comments prove he is more interested in catering to the far-right gun lobby than addressing the real causes of mass shootings.

“This is the GOP playbook in action,” said Shannon Watts, founder of Moms Demand Action.

“Every time a community is shattered by gun violence, they find someone or something to blame—mental health, video games, music, anything—so long as it’s not the guns.

And while they spin excuses, children are being slaughtered in their classrooms.”

The attack at Annunciation Catholic School has devastated Minneapolis, a city still grappling with national attention from previous tragedies, including the murder of George Floyd.

Vigils have sprung up across the Twin Cities, with hundreds of parents, children, and community leaders gathering to mourn the victims and demand political action.

Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis called the shooting “a sin against God and humanity” and urged lawmakers to find “the courage to stop this epidemic of violence.”

Meanwhile, gun control advocates are pointing to the stark statistics.

The United States has seen more than 450 mass shootings so far this year, according to independent tracking organizations, with school shootings hitting historic highs.

While mental health challenges are undeniably a factor in many cases, research has consistently shown that easy access to firearms dramatically increases the likelihood of deadly violence.

Senator Smith’s demand for Kennedy Jr.’s firing is unlikely to be acted upon by the Republican-controlled administration, but it reflects a growing frustration among Democrats and even some moderate conservatives who say the federal government has failed to take meaningful action.

President Joe Biden, speaking from the White House after the tragedy, once again called for a nationwide ban on assault weapons and expanded background checks.

“How many more children must die before we do something?” he asked.

For now, the grief-stricken community of Minneapolis is left to bury two children whose lives were stolen in the most senseless way imaginable.

Flowers, candles, and handwritten notes of sorrow line the fences of Annunciation School, where classes have been canceled indefinitely.

Parents hug their children a little tighter, and lawmakers argue on social media and cable television while families plan funerals.

Senator Tina Smith’s raw and furious words echo the outrage of millions of Americans who are tired of watching this cycle repeat: tragedy, thoughts and prayers, deflection, no action.

As she put it plainly in her viral post: “We are not going to shut up about it until the problem is solved.”