Annunciation, Sandy Hook parents reflect on turning from tragedy to action
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A group of parents linked to Annunciation Church and School in Minneapolis began meeting last fall to consider community and policy action to prevent gun violence, after two children died and 29 people were injured in a shooting at a back-to-school service last August.
They found allies in another group of organized parents who understood what it’s like to carry the shock of a deadly school shooting and turn to finding solutions to school violence.
Nicole Hockley and Mark Barden co-founded Sandy Hook Promise after losing their respective sons, Dylan, 6, and Daniel, 7, in a 2012 shooting at their elementary school in Connecticut. Hockley told MPR News host Nina Moini while each community and tragedy is different, there is a shared experience.
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“Overwhelmed is an understatement,” Hockley told MPR News host Nina Moini. “You can feel like the world is completely unrecognizable, and recognizing that you're not alone in that moment is incredibly important.”
Hockley and Barden met with Annunciation parents, who formed the group Annunciation Light Alliance. That organization’s co-founder, Kristen Neville, has five kids attending Annunciation and coaches basketball there. She said Sandy Hook Promise brought emotional support as well as helpful knowledge: “the work they did, where the systems broke down, and how to build something that lasts.”
“What I really appreciated is that they never really approached us as coming in to lead our work,” she said. “I felt like they saw very early on or right away as like a trusted partner locally.”
Neville said the relationship gave Annunciation parents some added confidence as well as more understanding of the “long and hard road” ahead. As they designed their nonprofit and met with state lawmakers this past winter, they pursued a range of policy actions aimed at preventing future school shootings.
During the legislative session, Annunciation Light Alliance supported proposals including a ban on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines, safe gun storage requirements, more funding for mental health care and systems for reporting threats to school safety.
A few of those proposals passed the state Legislature and were signed into law. One requires Minnesota schools to have 24-hour threat reporting systems. Another will mandate more parental controls on social media apps starting in July 2027.
Neville said those laws will help support youth mental health and address potential violence before it happens. She said she’s disappointed that the gun restrictions and safe storage rules never reached a vote in the state House of Representatives. But the group plans to continue advocating for the policies that failed to pass.
Hockley said their efforts so far have been uniquely successful, given the speed at which gun violence is politicized. Legislation stalled in Congress within four months of the Sandy Hook shooting, she said, leading her and other parents to state-level advocacy.
“You have to build so much trust and credibility, and the fact that they did that in less than a year is just something to really be celebrated,” she said. “I love how they have stayed so true to their strategy to stay nonpartisan, to focus on the things that can really make a difference for people and bring people into the conversation rather than shame them out of it.”
Neville said the law is not the only realm that matters for Annunciation Light Alliance. Engaging and educating community members about the impacts of gun violence and tools to prevent it are also priorities. The group recently published a series of videos of parents describing their memories of Aug. 27, 2025, and their hopes for the future.
The group has taken time over the past few months to rest and regroup, Neville said. But they have also talked about what’s next.
“This summer has been really focused on the strategic planning that helps to support our advocacy and change the systems around the children, while our community engagement continues to help equip the people around them,” she said.
As the one-year mark approaches, Neville said the community is focused on honoring the memory of 10-year-old Harper Moyski and 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel. The City of Minneapolis has invited the public to a day of service at Pearl Park, from 1 to 5 p.m.
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