Minneapolis Church Shooting Leaves Two Children Dead and 17 Injured
An attacker opened fire through the windows of a Minneapolis Catholic church during Mass, killing two children aged 8 and 10 and injuring 17 others, police say.
Two children, 8 and 10, were killed and 17 people were injured after a gunman opened fire through the windows of Annunciation Church in Minneapolis during a school Mass, police said. Fourteen of the wounded are students; all are expected to recover.
The attacker was identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, who died at the scene from a self-inflicted wound. Authorities say he had no significant criminal history.
Police Chief Brian O'Hara called the shooting "a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and worshippers," describing it as an incomprehensible act of cruelty. Investigators have labeled the incident a potential domestic terrorism and hate crime against Catholics, according to FBI Director Kash Patel.
Witnesses reported sounds of repeated gunfire just before 8:00 a.m. local time. The shooter fired dozens of rounds from a rifle, shotgun and pistol at the church’s side windows, and a smoke bomb was found nearby. Officers are determining whether shots were also fired from inside the building.
Local resident P.J. Mudd, working from home nearby, heard the "boom, boom, boom" and rushed to the scene, finding three magazine cartridges on the ground, he told the Wall Street Journal.
One 10-year-old survivor told CBS affiliate WCCO that his friend shielded him from bullets, lying on top of him and sustaining injuries himself. Schools in the area serve students aged 5 to 14. The attacker’s mother once worked at the school, retiring in 2021.
Authorities discovered a note the suspect planned to publish online at the time of the shooting, which the FBI removed from the internet. Governor Tim Walz said President Donald Trump expressed his condolences and offered federal support. Trump later ordered the U.S. flag at the White House to be flown at half-mast to honor the victims.
This attack on a place of worship highlights the urgent need for strengthened safety measures in our communities.
This topic was reported by BBC News.
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