Deadly Shooting at Minneapolis Catholic School Leaves Two Children Dead
MINNEAPOLIS â A tragic mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in south Minneapolis left two children dead and at least 17 others hospitalized on Wednesday morning, shaking one of the cityâs oldest religious communities during what should have been a peaceful moment of worship.
The attack occurred shortly after 8:15 a.m., when students, teachers, and parishioners were gathered inside the church for a morning Mass marking the first week of the school year. Witnesses say the quiet routine of prayers and hymns was abruptly shattered when a lone gunman armed with a semi-automatic rifle entered through the main doors of the sanctuary and began firing indiscriminately into the congregation of children and adults.
Victims of the Minneapolis School Shooting
Authorities confirmed that two victims, an 8-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy, died from gunshot wounds. Families identified them as students who had only recently returned from summer vacation, their lives cut short before the first month of the school year had ended.
At least 17 othersâmostly children but also several adults in attendanceâwere rushed to nearby hospitals with injuries ranging from gunshot wounds to cuts and bruises caused during the frantic escape. Emergency workers set up a triage area on the church lawn where those with non-life-threatening injuries were treated.
Dr. Meredith Hansen, trauma director at Hennepin County Medical Center, confirmed that several victims remained in critical condition late Wednesday afternoon. âWe are fighting for the lives of children right now,â she told reporters, noting that the youngest patient was four years old.
Shooter Identified as Suspect Dies in Police Confrontation
Law enforcement named the shooter as 23-year-old Robin Westman, a resident of suburban Minneapolis. Officials stated Westman was shot by responding officers after engaging in a violent altercation inside the sanctuary. Police confirmed the suspect died at the scene from a gunshot wound to the head.
The FBI is treating the incident as both a domestic terrorism case and a potential hate crime, citing evidence that the Catholic community may have been deliberately targeted. Investigators recovered a manifesto at Westmanâs home, though details of its contents remain undisclosed.
âWe believe this attack was premeditated and ideologically motivated,â Minneapolis Police Chief Thomas Wilkins said during a press conference. âEvery resource at the local and federal level is being deployed to uncover the full scope of the planning that went into this act.â
Chaos Inside the Sanctuary
Witnesses described a scene of chaos that unfolded in mere seconds. Children between the ages of 4 and 14, kneeling at the pews in prayer, suddenly dove to the ground as stained glass windows exploded above them. Parents screamed out names while teachers shielded younger students beneath benches.
A 9-year-old survivor, who asked not to be identified, said he hid under a pew as bullets ricocheted off marble columns. âMy best friend was right next to me when he was hit in the back,â the boy said softly. âThey told me he is in the hospital and will be okay.â
The sanctuaryâs massive stained glass centerpieceâa towering three-panel work stretching 30 by 50 feetâwas badly damaged in the gunfire. The window, crafted in the 1960s, depicts an angel shielding humanity from the fall of sin. Parishioners said the sight of bullet holes piercing the angelâs wings has become a haunting symbol of the violence that erupted in their sacred space.
Historical Significance of the Annunciation Catholic Community
Founded in 1922, Annunciation Catholic School and Church have long served as a cornerstone of Minneapolisâs religious and educational life. Generations of families from the cityâs south side have attended baptisms, First Communions, weddings, and funerals within the brick-and-stone walls of the Gothic Revival-style sanctuary.
The parish is also recognized for its outreach to immigrant and refugee families, offering language classes, food pantries, and housing support. For many residents, the Wednesday morning Massâheld during the start of the school yearâsymbolized continuity and faith across generations.
The attack has shocked alumni and parishioners across the country, sparking vigils in Minneapolis and in Catholic communities nationwide.
Minneapolis in the Context of National Gun Violence
The Minneapolis school shooting immediately reignited discussions about Americaâs persistent struggles with mass shootings. While Minnesota has seen its share of gun violence in recent years, the state historically reported fewer mass casualty shootings compared to regions such as Texas, California, or Florida.
However, Wednesdayâs tragedy now places Minneapolis in the growing list of U.S. cities scarred by large-scale gun attacks on schools and religious venues. Analysts noted painful similarities to mass shootings in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012, and Sutherland Springs, Texas in 2017, where children and churchgoers were also targeted.
Gun safety advocates highlighted that, like many Midwestern states, Minnesota holds a mix of both strict urban measures on firearms and more permissive rural traditions. The stateâs background check requirements and red-flag laws have been debated in recent legislative sessions, but authorities believe the suspect acquired firearms legally.
Economic and Social Impact of the Tragedy
Beyond the immediate human toll, the Minneapolis shooting has begun to trigger wider economic and social reverberations. Local businesses surrounding the parish, many of which rely on school and church activity for foot traffic, shuttered temporarily in the aftermath of the attack. Counseling services are being expanded across Minneapolis schools to help deal with trauma among children and staff.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis announced a fund to cover funeral expenses and long-term recovery costs for victims. âThis is not just a tragedy for one school or parish. It is a wound to the entire community,â Archbishop Bernard Daniels said in a statement.
Tourism and community events in the south Minneapolis neighborhood are also expected to be affected. The nearby annual fall festival, which traditionally draws thousands of people, is under review by organizers concerned about heightened security risks.
Comparisons With Regional and National Incidents
While Minnesota has not been a frequent setting for large-scale shootings, the Upper Midwest region has nevertheless witnessed several tragic incidents over the past two decades. In 2005, the Red Lake Senior High School shooting in northern Minnesota left ten people dead, including the gunman. That attack remained the deadliest school shooting in state history until Wednesdayâs event eclipsed its toll on the youngest victims.
Neighboring Wisconsin experienced mass shootings at places of worship, including the 2012 Sikh temple shooting in Oak Creek, which left seven dead. Together, these tragedies underscore the vulnerability of religious institutions and schools across the Midwest.
Nationally, churches and faith communities have increasingly found themselves at the center of targeted attacks. The 2015 Emanuel AME Church massacre in Charleston, South Carolina, and the 2018 Tree of Life synagogue shooting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, highlighted the disturbing trend of faith-based communities becoming focal points of hate-fueled violence.
Community Response and Healing
On Wednesday evening, thousands gathered for a candlelight vigil outside Annunciation Catholic School. Parents embraced their children in silence as clergy offered prayers for peace and resilience. Messages of solidarity poured in from schools and churches across Minnesota and beyond, many pledging to stand with the grieving families and to preserve the mission of the parish.
Minneapolis Mayor Sarah Winters called the incident âone of the darkest days in the cityâs history,â while urging calm and unity. âOur children deserve safety in their schools. Our families deserve peace in their places of worship. We cannot let fear divide us,â she said.
Counselors and trauma response teams have been deployed to assist both families and first responders. Schools across the district observed moments of silence Thursday morning, while flags across the state were ordered to half-mast in memory of the victims.
The Road Ahead
As investigators sift through the evidence and the community struggles to heal, questions linger about how such an attack could occur in the heart of a neighborhood long considered safe. Federal officials have warned of growing extremist threats directed at religious institutions, raising concerns about security at schools and churches nationwide.
While policymakers debate next steps on addressing gun violence, the immediate priority for Minneapolis remains the emotional and physical recovery of its children and families. In the words of Father Matthew Cullen, the parish priest who narrowly survived the shooting: âWe will stand together in faith. Evil may have entered our walls, but love will not leave.â
The shooting at Annunciation Catholic School marks a devastating chapter in Minneapolis historyâan act of violence that has left a scar not only on the city but also on the broader national conscience. For the families who lost children, for the students who witnessed unthinkable horrors, and for a community that must now piece itself back together, the road forward will be long, marked by grief but driven by resilience.