A shooter killed two kids and injured 17 others when he opened fireplace throughout Mass at a Minneapolis Catholic college on Aug. 27, officers mentioned.
The shooter, Robert “Robin” Westman, who regulation enforcement mentioned is a person in his early 20s, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound moments later. Fourteen of the 17 individuals injured have been kids, police mentioned, two of whom are in important situation.
Here’s what we all know up to now.
Shooter Opened Fireplace within the Center of Mass
The capturing occurred throughout Mass at Annunciation Catholic Faculty in Minneapolis on Aug. 27, two days after the primary day of sophistication of the brand new college yr.
“This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshipping,“ Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said at a news conference. ”The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing right into a church full of kids is completely incomprehensible.”
Authorities evacuated the college, and college students’ households have been directed to a “reunification zone.”
“Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey mentioned on the information convention with O’Hara. “These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school. They were in a church.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz known as the capturing a “horrific act of violence” in a publish on X.
“From the officers responding, to the clergy and teachers providing comfort, to the hospital staff saving lives, we will get through this together,” he wrote in one other publish.
Victims Principally Kids
Officers mentioned the 2 kids killed have been 8 and 10 and have been fatally shot whereas within the church pews celebrating a Mass in the course of 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 mentioned.
Hennepin Healthcare’s chair of emergency medication, Thomas Wyatt, mentioned the hospital handled 10 sufferers after the capturing, together with eight kids ages 6 by means of 14 and two adults.
Seven kids ages 9 by means of 16 have been additionally admitted to Kids’s Minnesota, a trauma heart devoted to pediatric care, the power mentioned in a press release.
O’Hara mentioned the entire wounded are anticipated to outlive from their “range of injuries,” and that the kids have been reunited with their households.
Shooter Recognized
The shooter was Robert “Robin” Westman, in accordance to FBI Director Kash Patel. Westman was armed with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol and approached the aspect of the church earlier than capturing by means of the home windows towards the kids inside, O’Hara mentioned.
Authorities imagine that Westman fired all or a lot of the pictures from outdoors 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 Children,” “Where is your God?”, and “Kill Donald Trump” on a rifle journal, Noem mentioned.
Officers didn’t say whether or not Westman had any identified connections to the college. Potential motives are nonetheless below investigation, however officers mentioned he doesn’t have an in depth identified felony historical past and sure acted alone.
Patel mentioned the FBI is investigating the capturing as an “act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics.”
O’Hara mentioned Minneapolis police don’t but have a “motive or anything to suggest that,” however that it’s working with its federal companions and reviewing “any possibilities from wherever the evidence will lead us from what we recover.”
Authorities beforehand mentioned Westman was in his early 20s. Noem later mentioned he was 23.
O’Hara mentioned authorities positioned 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 mentioned.
Catholic Faculty, Grades Pre-Okay to eighth
Based in 1923, Annunciation Catholic Faculty had 391 college students enrolled for the 2023 to 2024 college yr and has a student-to-teacher ratio of roughly 14 to at least one, in accordance with the Nationwide Heart for Schooling Statistics. With grades pre-kindergarten by means of eighth grade, every grade stage has two lessons and roughly 20 college students per class.
The varsity is in Minneapolis’s tree-lined Windom neighborhood, about 5 miles south of downtown. Social media images 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 Faculty’s web site states that academics “focus 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 mentioned the FBI will present updates to the general public as its investigation proceeds. Legislation enforcement mentioned beforehand it was investigating whether or not Westman had any identified connections to the college.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) mentioned it had accomplished a tracing of the firearms—the rifle, shotgun, and pistol—discovered on the college.
“ATF completed the urgent traces of the recovered firearms and has provided that information to all investigative partners involved in the shooting at Annunciation Church this morning,” the company’s St. Paul, Minnesota, workplace wrote in a publish on X. “This information is for investigative partners only and will not be released to the public.”
O’Hara mentioned investigators are analyzing further firearms discovered at three residential places associated to Westman.
The Metropolis of Minneapolis wrote on X that “there is no active threat to the community at this time” however warned residents to steer clear of the world 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 senseless acts of violence,” the White Home wrote on X.
Legal professional Common Pam Bondi wrote on X, “Our federal agents are on the scene of the horrific shooting at the Annunciation Catholic school in Minneapolis, Minnesota.”
Taking pictures at One other Catholic Faculty
The capturing on Aug. 27 adopted one which occurred the earlier afternoon at close by Cristo Rey Jesuit Excessive Faculty 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 college, the police chief mentioned on Aug. 26.
A minimum of one of many adults was focused, and officers didn’t point out if anybody from the college was concerned within the capturing.
Annunciation Catholic Faculty is roughly 4 miles south of Cristo Rey. Authorities don’t imagine that the 2 incidents are linked.
O’Hara instructed reporters that regulation enforcement had arrested two suspects in relation to that capturing.
“We have not gotten the shooter yet, but we believe we have two people under arrest that were present with the shooter when that happened, and we’re making significant progress,” he mentioned.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
For those who discovered this text attention-grabbing, please take into account supporting conventional journalism
Our first version was printed 25 years in the past from a basement in Atlanta. At the moment, The Epoch Occasions brings fact-based, award-winning journalism to tens of millions of Individuals.
Our journalists have been threatened, arrested, and assaulted, however our dedication to unbiased journalism has by no means wavered. This yr marks our twenty fifth yr of unbiased reporting, free from company and political affect.
That’s why you’re invited to a limited-time introductory supply — simply $1 per week — so you’ll be able to be part of tens of millions already celebrating unbiased information.
