American opinion makers were heated once again this week in a debate over the role of prayer in the wake of a mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school.

The debate began when Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey spoke to reporters at a press conference following the attack, urging listeners to do more.

“Don't just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school. They were in a church,” said Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey.

Offers of “thoughts and prayers” by political leaders and others followed at Wednesday’s attack in which an assailant shot and killed two Annunciation Catholic School students and wounded 18 other people attending Mass.

Those, often Democrats, who support some legal restrictions on guns say that Republican politicians who appeal to prayer are trying to distract from their inaction on such things as red flag laws or stricter background checks on gun purchases.

Republicans, in turn, have framed mass gun violence in terms of a mental health crisis or, in cases such as the Annunciation attack, hate crimes against religious groups, while citing the Second Amendment in emphasizing the right to “keep and bear arms.”

Frey later clarified his statement, tapping into the concept in his Jewish faith of Tikkun Olam, or repairing the world, saying “prayer is necessary, but not sufficient. Elected leaders cannot use prayers alone to let ourselves off the hook for our own inaction.”

On Wednesday, the shooter — armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol — approached the side of the church and shot dozens of rounds through the windows toward the children sitting in the pews during Mass just before 8:30 a.m. Police believe the shooter then killed himself.

The children who died were 8 and 10, and 14 other kids were among the wounded.

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