A gunman sprayed bullets into a Catholic church on Wednesday as students from an adjoining school attended mass, killing two children and injuring 17 others as they sat in pews during their first week back at school.
A 911 call about a gunman at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis was received just before 8:30 a.m., sparking a large police presence, according to local Fox affiliate KMSP.
At the time, students, ranging from pre-kindergarten through 8th grade, were attending a school-wide mass. The school year began on Monday.
During the mass, the gunman, dressed in all-black, approached the church and began firing into its windows, striking students and worshippers “in a deliberate act of violence against innocent children,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told reporters outside the scene of the horrific crime.
The gunman, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, was armed with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol. He fired all three during the shooting spree, O’Hara said.
Moments after the shooting, officers entered the church, administered first aid to wounded victims, and escorted out children hiding inside.
Two young children, ages 8 and 10, were killed in the church pews. Another 17 have been hospitalized — several with critical injuries.
The families of the deceased have been notified, O’Hara said.
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“Don’t just say, this is about thoughts and prayers right now,” an emotional Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said outside the school after the shooting. “These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school. They were in a church. These are kids that should be learning with their friends. They should be playing on the playground. They should be able to go to school or church in peace without the fear or risk of violence.”
The gunman, who is in his early 20s and had no criminal history, killed himself in the parking lot. Police are examining what he left behind, including his car.
“Our hearts are broken for everyone that’s been affected by this tragedy,” said O’Hara, who’s been the department chief since November 2022.
He added: “This act of evil should not happen, and it happens too often.”
A parent who was seated at the back pew during that mass told the Minneapolis Star-Tribune that the shooter “just pepper-sprayed” bullets through the stained-glass windows into the building, firing 50 to 100 shots.
He added: “He killed two kids. This is terrible. This is evil. I don’t know how you defend against this.”
Footage from local Fox affiliate KMSP showed children being walked away from the scene by their parents.
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Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz posted on X Wednesday that he had been briefed on what he called a “horrific act of violence.”
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel said their respective agencies were monitoring the situation.
Watch above via CNN.