A mass shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis has left at least two children dead, the Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports.
The shooting took place at around 8 a.m. local time Wednesday, Aug. 27, at Annunciation Catholic Church as students gathered for their first Mass of the school year. By 9:35 a.m. local time, the City of Minneapolis issued a statement saying the “shooter is contained” and there is “no active threat to the community at this time.”
Two children, ages eight and 10, are dead, and 17 people are injured, most of them children between the ages of six and 14. Two victims remain in critical condition.
At a press briefing, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that the shooter is also dead, having died by suicide in the rear of the church. The suspected shooter was identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, per police. She reportedly carried three weapons — a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol — all of which were used during the shooting.
According to court records obtained by Star-Tribune, Westman’s mother applied to change her child’s name in 2019 from Robert to Robin because Robin identified as female. Westman’s mother signed off on the change because Robin was a minor at the time.
O’Hara described the shooting: “During the mass, the gunman approached on the outside, on the side of the building, and began firing a rifle through the church windows towards the children sitting in the pews at the mass. Shooting through the windows, he [sic] struck children and worshipers that were inside the building.”
He added: “This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshiping.”
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In a statement, the children’s hospital in Minnesota said, “Currently, five children are admitted to our hospital for care. We will not share more details to respect the privacy of our patients and families.”
Additional victims were taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center, with four of them requiring surgery. Dr. Thomas Wyatt, chair of emergency medicine at the hospital, said nine of the patients were children, and two were adults (via CNN).
One parent of an Annunciation student who witnessed the shooting said students were at Mass when the shooter opened fire from outside the church. “He just pepper-sprayed through the stained-glass windows into the building, 50 to 100 shots,” said the parent.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said in a statement, “I’ve been briefed on a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School and will continue to provide updates as we get more information. The BCA and State Patrol are on scene. I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.”
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social, “The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene. The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!”
This story was updated at 2:39 p.m. ET with the identity of the shooter.
This story is developing…
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