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MINNEAPOLIS — What began as a joyful start to the school year turned into a scene of terror on Wednesday morning, when a heavily armed gunman opened fire during a Mass at a Minneapolis Catholic church, killing two children and wounding 17 others, police said.

The attack erupted around 8:30 a.m. at Annunciation Catholic Church, which serves students from pre‑K through eighth grade. Wednesday’s service was an annual tradition marking the first week of classes. As the first hymns began, witnesses said, bullets tore through the church’s windows.

Children and staff dove under pews for cover. Two young victims — an 8‑year‑old and a 10‑year‑old — were killed. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the wounded included 14 children, aged 6 to 15, and three parishioners in their 80s. All the injured are expected to survive.

The suspected shooter, identified as Robin Westman, 23, was found dead of a self‑inflicted gunshot wound. Police said Westman, armed with a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol, was a former student at the school. His mother is a retired employee of the institution, according to a law enforcement official.

Investigators are combing through the suspect’s online footprint. With FBI assistance, his YouTube account has been taken offline. Other social media posts reportedly included disturbing diary‑style videos describing the killing of children, drawings of the church’s sanctuary, and displays of weapons, ammunition, and possible explosives marked with violent language.

“We don’t have a motive at this time,” Chief O’Hara said.

All firearms used in the attack were legally purchased, police said. At least two church doors had been barricaded from the outside.

Ellie Mertens, 25, a youth minister, recalled sitting with children when the gunfire began: “I was just feet away from this window where it was. The pew saved my life.”

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey spoke of the heartbreak: “You cannot put into words the gravity, tragedy, or absolute pain of the situation… These kids were literally praying.”

What We Know So Far

  • Domestic Terrorism Probe: FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting is being investigated as a potential act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.
  • Witness Trauma: At Hennepin County Medical Center, witnesses described children arriving covered in blood. One injured child screamed, “I don’t want to die.”
  • Presidential Response: Governor Tim Walz said he spoke with President Donald Trump, who ordered U.S. flags lowered to half‑staff through Sunday in tribute to the victims.
  • City on Edge: This marks the fourth deadly shooting in Minneapolis in just over 24 hours. The Twin Cities were also rocked in June by the assassination of a state lawmaker and her husband, part of a string of politically charged attacks.
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