Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey rejected offers of “thoughts and prayers” after two children were killed and 17 others were injured in a shooting at a Catholic school during the first week back after summer vacation.

“Children are dead, there are families that have a deceased child. You cannot put into words the gravity, tragedy or absolute pain of the situation,” Frey said during a press conference Wednesday, not long after a gunman opened fire at Annunciation Catholic School.

“Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now, these kids were literally praying,” he added. “It was the first week of school, they were in a church.”

The shooting unfolded as students and others attended a mass to mark the first week of school after summer vacation.

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Two children, ages eight and 10 years old, were killed, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said. The gunman involved died by suicide. A motive was not immediately known.

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