EXCLUSIVE: The highest-ranking Minnesotan in Congress is accusing his state's Democratic governor of focusing on the wrong issues in the wake of a deadly shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school.
"Tim Walz and the people around him, they're not trying to solve this. They're just exacerbating the problem, and they've been exacerbating it over the last several years," House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., told Fox News Digital.
"So yes, I do put this squarely in their lap, and if we're going to get this fixed, then I think Tim Walz and Democrats in my state really need to sit down and have a thoughtful discussion about how we deal with this mental health issue that they have encouraged."
A 23-year-old opened fire on a Mass being held at the Annunciation Catholic Church on Wednesday, which was being attended by students at its affiliated school.
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Authorities said two children, aged 8 and 10, were killed. Fifteen other children between the ages of 6 and 15, and three adults, were injured.
The shooter was identified as Robin Westman, whose name was originally Robert Westman. Federal officials, including Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem, said Westman claimed to be transgender.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey publicly urged people to not use the shooting "as an opportunity to villainize our trans community."
But Emmer criticized Democrats, both in his state and in Congress, for renewing their push for gun control in the wake of the shooting. "It starts at the top," he said.
"If a gun wasn't going to be available, clearly based on what this young man, what little we know of it right now, he would have found another way to commit a heinous act like this," Emmer said. "That wasn't going to stop him, and that's not what caused the problem. What caused the problems is all the transgender confusion that Tim Walz and his Democrat colleagues are causing."
"I wish our governor, rather than calling us a transgender sanctuary state, why doesn't he say we're a sanctuary state for all people of all faith, and we're going to protect them all?"
He was referring to laws signed by Walz that made the state a "refuge" for transgender people. Walz touted his policies earlier this week at the DNC's summer meeting: "Minnesota ranks the highest per-capita for being a safe haven for transgender individuals."
But Emmer said the shooter "clearly had some mental health issues."
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara told ABC News that the shooter "harbored a whole lot of hate towards a wide variety of people and groups of people" while also showing an "obsession" for mass shooters.
The New York Post reported that Westman's manifesto showed the 23-year-old struggled with having a trans identity.
"I regret being trans," the shooter reportedly said before the attack. "I wish I was a girl. I just know I cannot achieve that body with the technology we have today. I also can't afford that."
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The shooter also reportedly expressed hatred for Jews and complained that media outlets "only talk about brown people dying, and I don't care about them."
Walz, for his part, has not commented on the shooter's identity. Recent statements from the governor expressed thanks to law enforcement and condolences to those affected.
"Students deserve to start the school year full of hope and excitement. No child in America should go to school apprehensive of danger, of losing a classmate, of gunshots during prayer," Walz said on X on Thursday afternoon.
Fox News Digital reached out to the governor's office for a response to Emmer but did not hear back.
