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MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A shooter opened fire Wednesday morning during Mass at a Minneapolis Catholic school, killing two children and injuring 17 other people before killing himself, officials said.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the shooter — armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol — approached the side of the church and shot through the windows toward the children sitting in the pews during Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School.
The school was evacuated, and students’ families were later directed to a “reunification zone” at the school. President Donald Trump and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in separate social media posts that they had been briefed on the shooting.
Here’s the latest:
Pope Leo XIV calls the shooting a ‘terrible tragedy’ and prays for the relatives of the dead and those injured
Pope Leo XIV has sent a telegram of condolences over the shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, calling it a “terrible tragedy” and saying he was praying for relatives of the dead and injured “at this extremely difficult time.”
Leo, history’s first American pope, said he was “profoundly saddened” to learn about the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School church. He sent his condolences “to all those affected by this terrible tragedy, especially the families now grieving the loss of a child.”
The Chicago-born Leo said he was praying for those injured and the medical teams and first responders at the scene, and for the broader Catholic community.
The telegram was signed by the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and was addressed to Archbishop Bernard Hebda, the archbishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis.
-Nicole Winfield
US Conference of Catholic Bishops releases statement, asking for healing
In response to the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minn., Archbishop William E. Lori, vice-president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement.
“As a Church, we are following the tragic news from Annunciation School in Minneapolis with heartbreaking sadness. Whenever one part of the Body of Christ is wounded, we feel the pain as if it were our very own children. Let us all beg the Lord for the protection and healing of the entire Annunciation family.”
Trump orders flags at half-staff to mark Minneapolis shooting
The White House said in a post on X that Trump signed a proclamation Wednesday afternoon ordering flags to be lowered at all government buildings until sunset on Sunday “as a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence.”
‘Minnesota is heartbroken’
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz posted on X: “Minnesota is heartbroken. From the officers responding, to the clergy and teachers providing comfort, to the hospital staff saving lives, we will get through this together. Hug your kids close.”
15 children and 2 adults are being treated at trauma hospitals
Hennepin Healthcare, the main trauma hospital in Minneapolis, said in a statement that they received 10 patients, including eight children — aged 6 through 14 — and two adults. Seven were considered to be in critical condition.
The hospital previously said it had received 11 patients.
Children’s Minnesota, a pediatric trauma hospital, said it admitted seven children ages 9 through 16.
Authorities say the shooter is believed to have acted alone
The police chief said the shooter was in his early 20s, did not have an extensive known criminal history and is believed to have acted alone, but did not release the name or information on possible connections to the school.
A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that authorities have identified the shooter as Robin Westman. That official was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
— Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer contributed from Washington.
