Two young students were killed and 17 others wounded on Wednesday morning when a shooter opened fire during Mass at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, police confirmed.
According to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, the assailant approached the side of the church and fired a rifle through the windows at students attending the service. The attacker, armed with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol, later took his own life behind the church. Officials believe he acted alone.
Dozens of children were inside the church at the time. Two students, aged 8 and 10, were killed in the pews. Fourteen of the injured were also children. Emergency crews transported 11 victims to Hennepin Healthcare, the city's main trauma center. Nine of those patients were children between six and 14 years old, and four required surgery.
The shooter was identified as Robin or Robert Westman, transgender individual in their early 20s. It is believed that the shooter uploaded several videos to YouTube shortly before the attack. The videos show a notebook that appears to contain a floor plan of the chapel where the shooting took place and other writings. They also show a gun and magazines scribbled with various statements such as "kill Donald Trump” and “for the children” as well as "Burn Israel," "Israel must fall," and "Six million wasn't enough."
The shooting took place during the school’s first week back, with an all-school Mass scheduled for 8:15 a.m. The building was evacuated, and families were directed to a reunification area nearby.
Police recovered a smoke bomb at the scene but reported no explosives. Investigators are reviewing items left by the shooter to determine a possible motive.
President Donald Trump and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz both said they had been briefed on the incident. Walz called the event "horrific" and said he was praying for the affected children and staff.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar stated, "Horrified by the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the victims and with the injured. Israel stands in solidarity with the U.S. and the Catholic community."