Horror unfolded Wednesday in the quiet sanctuary of Minnesota’s Annunciation Catholic School, a place meant for learning, prayer and the innocent joys of childhood.

Law enforcement report that during morning Mass, 23-year-old Robin Westman — armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol — opened fire outside the church adjoining the school. The suspected killer’s manifesto, as reported by print and broadcast networks but not yet fully verified, defies humanity’s ability to comprehend — let alone correct — the evil potential of any of the world’s 8.1 billion individuals.

Two young children — an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old — lost their lives. Seventeen others, including students, staff, and parishioners had their bodies and spirits forever scarred. Westman reportedly left behind a disturbing 11-minute video and hateful inscriptions on firearms such as “Kill Trump Now!,” “Burn Israel” and “Where is Your God?” The attack reminds us once more of the fragility of life when one person goes berserk.

Although mass killings have forever jeopardized humanity, the contemporary spate of school attacks began with Colorado’s 1999 Columbine High School massacre. Subsequent school shootings have Colorado ranked sixth for such tragedies among all states.

The United States cannot accept, afford or stand for another school massacre. This must end — not tomorrow, not after the next election, but now, with unwavering resolve. Our collective heart and soul, encompassing people of every faith, political persuasion, and background, should value children above all else.

Whether guided by Christian teachings of love, Jewish principles of justice, Islamic calls to compassion, or secular ideals of human dignity, we unite in this truth: The young are our shared hope, deserving protection in every corner of society.

Wednesday’s tragedy manifests a toxic brew of mental illness, hatred, access to tools of destruction, ubiquitous evil, and myriad other factors too numerous and nuanced to fully explain or comprehend. We cannot eradicate a mental health crisis overnight, banish prejudice from every heart, or eliminate all instruments of destruction. Evil, in its persistent forms, defies simple solutions.

Yet, what we can do — and must — is render it practically impossible for such darkness to infiltrate the havens where children gather to learn and grow. Schools, public and private, should be the safest environments imaginable, fortified against threats with the utmost vigilance. They are not. The Minnesota suspect reportedly wrote as much, explaining in the manifesto, a plan to target a “no-gun zone.”

On-site school security must rise as the highest priority for federal, state, local and school district governance. It is time for leaders across the spectrum — conservatives, liberals, moderates, political agnostics, believers and nonbelievers — to set aside ideological differences and agree on this: no cost is too high to ensure no child is killed by anyone, for any reason, while attending any school.

This means deploying comprehensive security measures inside and out: reinforced entrances, advanced surveillance, trained personnel, mental health screenings and rapid-response protocols that make schools the most difficult targets for harm. Faith communities, educators, and parents of all stripes must collaborate, honoring diverse viewpoints while prioritizing the innocent.

Our stupendously wealthy country pays to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion among birdwatching enthusiasts. We spend billions on health insurance for able-bodied adults unwilling to work. We study the sex lives of bugs.

Colorado alone spends millions on never-ending studies of a passenger rail pipe dream. During last week’s special session to cut spending, the legislature took emergency action to fund more abortions.

While splurging on absurdities producing water cooler jokes, our political class reliably neglects to invest in fail-safe security to protect children – society’s most valuable assets.

We cannot wait for another massacre to get serious. Imminent, hard-core, state-of-the-art school security should be the highest priority of Congress, the president, governors, state legislators, counties, cities, towns and school districts. Protecting children should be non-negotiable, and the time to act is now.

The Gazette Editorial Board