This text was initially printed by The Epoch Instances: What We Know So Far About Minnesota Faculty Capturing
A shooter killed two kids 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 had been kids, police stated, two of whom are in crucial situation.
Here’s what we all know to this point.
Shooter Opened Fireplace within the Center of Mass
The taking pictures occurred throughout Mass at Annunciation Catholic Faculty in Minneapolis on Aug. 27, two days after the primary day of sophistication of the brand new faculty 12 months.
“This was a deliberate act of violence towards harmless kids 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 had 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 had been actually praying. It was the primary week of college. They had been in a church.”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz referred to as the taking pictures a “horrific act of violence” in a submit on X.
“From the officers responding, to the clergy and lecturers offering consolation, to the hospital employees saving lives, we’ll get by means of this collectively,” he wrote in one other submit.
Victims Largely Youngsters
Officers stated the 2 kids killed had been 8 and 10 and had been fatally shot whereas within the church pews celebrating a Mass in the course of the first week of college. It’s not clear how many individuals had been current within the church when the taking pictures occurred, and authorities haven’t launched the identities of the victims.
Police have heard estimates on the precise quantity of people that had 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 taking pictures, together with eight kids ages 6 by means of 14 and two adults.
Seven kids ages 9 by means of 16 had been additionally admitted to Youngsters’s Minnesota, a trauma middle devoted to pediatric care, the power stated in a press release.
O’Hara stated the entire 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, in line with FBI Director Kash Patel. Westman was armed with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol and approached the aspect of the church earlier than taking pictures by means of the home windows towards the youngsters inside, O’Hara stated.
Authorities imagine that Westman fired all or many of the pictures from exterior the church earlier than killing himself within the parking zone.
Westman recognized as transgender, Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem wrote on X.
He allegedly wrote the phrases “For the Youngsters,” “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 below investigation, however officers stated he doesn’t have an intensive recognized legal historical past and sure acted alone.
Patel stated the FBI is investigating the taking pictures as an “act of home terrorism and hate crime concentrating on Catholics.”
O’Hara stated Minneapolis police don’t but have a “motive or something to counsel that,” however that it’s working with its federal companions and reviewing “any prospects from wherever the proof will lead us from what we recuperate.”
Authorities beforehand stated Westman was in his early 20s. Noem later stated he was 23.
O’Hara stated authorities situated a smoke bomb, or a firework that might 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 taking pictures and are reviewing it for potential motives, O’Hara stated.
Catholic Faculty, Grades Pre-Ok to eighth
Based in 1923, Annunciation Catholic Faculty had 391 college students enrolled for the 2023 to 2024 faculty 12 months and has a student-to-teacher ratio of roughly 14 to 1, in line with the Nationwide Heart for Schooling Statistics. With grades pre-kindergarten by means of eighth grade, every grade stage has two courses 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 pictures from the primary day of college 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 lecturers “deal with Christian values and civic-mindedness.”
Investigation Underway
Along with investigating the taking pictures 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. Regulation 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 offered that data to all investigative companions concerned within the taking pictures at Annunciation Church this morning,” the company’s St. Paul, Minnesota, workplace wrote in a submit on X. “This data is for investigative companions solely and won’t be launched to the general public.”
O’Hara stated investigators are analyzing extra firearms discovered at three residential places associated to Westman.
The Metropolis of Minneapolis wrote on X that “there is no such thing as a energetic menace to the neighborhood right now” however warned residents to keep away from the world whereas emergency personnel assist victims.
President Donald Trump has been briefed on the taking pictures. 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.
Lawyer Common Pam Bondi wrote on X, “Our federal brokers are on the scene of the horrific taking pictures on the Annunciation Catholic faculty in Minneapolis, Minnesota.”
Capturing at One other Catholic Faculty
The taking pictures 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 taking pictures. The shooter killed one particular person and injured six others amongst a gaggle of adults who had been hanging out close to the varsity, the police chief stated on Aug. 26.
At the very least one of many adults was focused, and officers didn’t point out if anybody from the varsity was concerned within the taking pictures.
Annunciation Catholic Faculty is roughly 4 miles south of Cristo Rey. Authorities don’t imagine that the 2 incidents are linked.
O’Hara advised reporters that legislation enforcement had arrested two suspects in relation to that taking pictures.
“We’ve not gotten the shooter but, however we imagine we now have two folks below arrest that had been current with the shooter when that occurred, and we’re making vital progress,” he stated.
The Related Press contributed to this report.
In case you discovered this text fascinating, please think about supporting conventional journalism
Our first version was printed 25 years in the past from a basement in Atlanta. Right this moment, The Epoch Instances brings fact-based, award-winning journalism to thousands and thousands of People.
Our journalists have been threatened, arrested, and assaulted, however our dedication to unbiased journalism has by no means wavered. This 12 months marks our twenty fifth 12 months of unbiased reporting, free from company and political affect.
That’s why you’re invited to a limited-time introductory provide — simply $1 per week — so you possibly can be part of thousands and thousands already celebrating unbiased information.
