Flags have been lowered to half-staff in California and across the United States in honor of the victims of the Aug. 27 attack on a Minnesota church.
President Donald Trump issued a proclamation Aug. 27 ordering that the U.S. flag be flown at half-staff on federal property until sunset on Aug. 31 as “a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence perpetrated” at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom also reacted to the shooting.
“We cannot even make it through the first week of school without mass shootings,” Newsom wrote on X. “And the @GOP will continue to do absolutely nothing while our kids are being gunned down. This is sick.”
What happened at the Minneapolis church?
The city of Minneapolis continues to mourn the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting that left two children dead and 17 other people wounded. The shooting suspect, 23-year-old Robin Westman, allegedly opened fire through the church’s stained-glass windows where people were praying in celebration of the start of the school year at Annunciation Catholic School, located near the church. The kids who died were 8 and 10 years old. Westman died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, USA TODAY reported, citing the Minneapolis police chief.
Why do flags fly at half-staff?
U.S. flags typically fly at half-staff in the wake of national tragedies or after the deaths of government officials, military members, or first responders. They also fly half-staff during Memorial Day and other national days of remembrance.”The United States flag flies at half-staff or at half-mast when the nation or a state is in mourning,” USA.gov says. “The president, a state governor, or the mayor of the District of Columbia can order flags to fly at half-staff.”
What’s the difference between half-staff and half-mast
The difference between half-staff and half-mast depends on where the flag flies. The terms are often used interchangeably, but half-staff refers to a flag hanging halfway up on a flagpole on land, while half-mast pertains to a flag flying halfway up the mast on a ship at sea.
Contributing: John Bacon, Corey Schmidt, Christopher Cann, Jeanine Santucci, Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY Network
This article originally appeared on Palm Springs Desert Sun: Flags at half-staff in California after Minneapolis tragedy