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.
The shooting happened during Mass at Annunciation Catholic School. Monday had been the first day of classes.
Of the 17 injured, police said 14 were children. Two of those children were in critical condition.
The shooting comes as school years are starting across the U.S., and some universities have dealt with false alarms about school shootings. At least a dozen college campuses faced hoax active shooter calls — some featuring gunshots sounding in the background.
Here are some of the things to know about the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School.
What do we know about the victims?
The two children who were killed were 8 and 10 years old, officials said. Authorities have not released the identities of the victims, but said the children who were killed were fatally shot while they were in the church pews celebrating Mass.
It is unclear how many people were inside the church at the time.
What do we know about the shooter?
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 inside before killing himself in the parking lot.
He said the shooter was in his early 20s, did not have an extensive known criminal history and acted alone. He did not release more details.
A law enforcement official told The Associated Press authorities have identified the shooter as Robin Westman. That official was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Former Kentucky state lawmaker Bob Heleringer told The Associated Press he is Westman's uncle, but had not seen him in a few years.
“He was my nephew, and I wish he had shot me instead of innocent schoolchildren,” Heleringer said during a phone interview. “I barely knew him. They (Robin’s family) never lived in Louisville. They lived in Minnesota.”
What do we know about the school?
Founded in 1923, the school had 391 students enrolled for the 2023-24 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Each grade level has two classes, with about 20 students in each class.
It's located in the city’s Windom neighborhood, about 5 miles (8 kilometers) south of downtown Minneapolis.
The school’s website says teachers “focus on Christian values and civic-mindedness.”
President Trump's comments
President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post that he was briefed on the “tragic shooting” and that the White House would continue to monitor the situation.
“The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene,” Trump said in a statement on social media.
“The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!”
A nearby shooting
A shooter killed one person and injured six others nearby Cristo Rey Jesuit High School on Tuesday afternoon, in what authorities believe was a targeted shooting.
Annunciation Catholic School is about 4 miles (6 kilometers) south of Cristo Rey, and officials do not believe the shootings are linked.
The police chief said Tuesday that a group of adults hanging out near the school were shot, and least one of them was targeted. There was no mention of anyone from the school being involved in the shooting.
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Associated Press writer Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington and Bruce Schreiner in Frankfort, Kentucky, contributed to this report.
R.j. Rico, The Associated Press
