A shooter killed two youngsters and injured 17 others when he opened hearth throughout Mass at a Minneapolis Catholic faculty on Aug. 27, officers stated.
The shooter, Robert “Robin” Westman, who legislation enforcement stated is a person in his early 20s, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound moments later. Fourteen of the 17 folks injured have been youngsters, police stated, two of whom are in important situation.
Here’s what we all know to date.
Shooter Opened Fireplace within the Center of Mass
The capturing occurred throughout Mass at Annunciation Catholic College in Minneapolis on Aug. 27, two days after the primary day of sophistication of the brand new faculty yr.
“This was a deliberate act of violence towards harmless youngsters and different folks worshipping,“ Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara stated at a information convention. ”The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing right into a church full of youngsters is totally incomprehensible.”
Authorities evacuated the varsity, and college students’ households have been directed to a “reunification zone.”
“Don’t simply say that is about ideas and prayers proper now,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey stated on the information convention with O’Hara. “These youngsters have been actually praying. It was the primary week of faculty. They have been in a church.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz referred to as the capturing a “horrific act of violence” in a post on X.
“From the officers responding, to the clergy and academics offering consolation, to the hospital employees saving lives, we are going to get by way of this collectively,” he wrote in one other post.
Victims Largely Kids
Officers stated the 2 youngsters killed have been 8 and 10 and have been fatally shot whereas within the church pews celebrating a Mass throughout the first week of faculty. It isn’t clear how many individuals have been current within the church when the capturing occurred, and authorities haven’t launched the identities of the victims.
Police have heard estimates on the precise quantity of people that have been within the church on the time, however will launch a extra definitive quantity when it’s decided, O’Hara stated.
Hennepin Healthcare’s chair of emergency medication, Thomas Wyatt, stated the hospital handled 10 sufferers after the capturing, together with eight youngsters ages 6 by way of 14 and two adults.
Seven youngsters ages 9 by way of 16 have been additionally admitted to Kids’s Minnesota, a trauma heart devoted to pediatric care, the ability stated in an announcement.
O’Hara stated all the wounded are anticipated to outlive from their “vary of accidents,” and that the youngsters have been reunited with their households.
Shooter Recognized
The shooter was Robert “Robin” Westman, according to FBI Director Kash Patel. Westman was armed with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol and approached the facet of the church earlier than capturing by way of the home windows towards the youngsters inside, O’Hara stated.
Authorities imagine that Westman fired all or many of the photographs from exterior the church earlier than killing himself within the car parking zone.
Westman recognized as transgender, Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X.
He allegedly wrote the phrases “For the Kids,” “The place is your God?”, and “Kill Donald Trump” on a rifle journal, Noem stated.
Officers didn’t say whether or not Westman had any recognized connections to the varsity. Potential motives are nonetheless beneath investigation, however officers stated he doesn’t have an intensive recognized felony historical past and sure acted alone.
Patel stated the FBI is investigating the capturing as an “act of home terrorism and hate crime focusing on Catholics.”
O’Hara stated Minneapolis police don’t but have a “motive or something to recommend that,” however that it’s working with its federal companions and reviewing “any potentialities from wherever the proof will lead us from what we get better.”
Authorities beforehand stated Westman was in his early 20s. Noem later said he was 23.
O’Hara stated authorities situated a smoke bomb, or a firework that may launch smoke, however had not discovered any explosives.
In addition they discovered a video manifesto that had been timed to add to YouTube following the capturing and are reviewing it for potential motives, O’Hara stated.
Catholic College, Grades Pre-Okay to eighth
Based in 1923, Annunciation Catholic College had 391 college students enrolled for the 2023 to 2024 faculty yr and has a student-to-teacher ratio of roughly 14 to at least one, in accordance with the Nationwide Middle for Schooling Statistics. With grades pre-kindergarten by way of eighth grade, every grade stage has two lessons and roughly 20 college students per class.
The college is in Minneapolis’s tree-lined Windom neighborhood, about 5 miles south of downtown. Social media photographs from the primary day of faculty on Aug. 25 present college students in inexperienced uniforms smiling, greeting each other at bicycle racks, and sitting collectively.
Annunciation Catholic College’s web site states that academics “concentrate on Christian values and civic-mindedness.”
Investigation Underway
Along with investigating the capturing as a focused act of home terrorism and an anti-Catholic hate crime, Patel stated the FBI will present updates to the general public as its investigation proceeds. Legislation enforcement stated beforehand it was investigating whether or not Westman had any recognized connections to the varsity.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) stated it had accomplished a tracing of the firearms—the rifle, shotgun, and pistol—discovered on the faculty.
“ATF accomplished the pressing traces of the recovered firearms and has supplied that data to all investigative companions concerned within the capturing at Annunciation Church this morning,” the company’s St. Paul, Minnesota, workplace wrote in a post on X. “This data is for investigative companions solely and won’t be launched to the general public.”
O’Hara stated investigators are analyzing further firearms discovered at three residential places associated to Westman.
The Metropolis of Minneapolis wrote on X that “there isn’t any energetic risk to the neighborhood at the moment” however warned residents to steer clear of the realm whereas emergency personnel assist victims.
President Donald Trump has been briefed on the capturing. He signed a proclamation ordering all flags at federal buildings to be flown at half-staff “as a mark of respect for the victims of the mindless acts of violence,” the White Home wrote on X.
Legal professional Basic Pam Bondi wrote on X, “Our federal brokers are on the scene of the horrific capturing on the Annunciation Catholic faculty in Minneapolis, Minnesota.”
Capturing at One other Catholic College
The capturing on Aug. 27 adopted one which occurred the earlier afternoon at close by Cristo Rey Jesuit Excessive College in Minneapolis, in what officers imagine was a focused capturing. The shooter killed one particular person and injured six others amongst a bunch of adults who have been hanging out close to the varsity, the police chief stated on Aug. 26.
No less than one of many adults was focused, and officers didn’t point out if anybody from the varsity was concerned within the capturing.
Annunciation Catholic College is roughly 4 miles south of Cristo Rey. Authorities don’t imagine that the 2 incidents are related.
O’Hara advised reporters that legislation enforcement had arrested two suspects in relation to that capturing.
“Now we have not gotten the shooter but, however we imagine we’ve got two folks beneath arrest that have been current with the shooter when that occurred, and we’re making important progress,” he stated.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
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