Officials said two children were killed and 17 injured in a mass shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Wednesday.
Police responded to a shooter incident at a Catholic school in south Minneapolis early on Wednesday morning. Brian O’Hara, Minneapolis police chief, said in a press conference on Wednesday that two young children, ages eight and 10, were killed in church pews during a mass.
“Their parents have been notified. Seventeen other people were injured, 14 of them children. Two of those children are in critical condition. The coward who fired these shots ultimately took his own life,” O’Hara said.
The chief explained that the “unthinkable tragedy” took place just before 8.30am during a worship service marking the first week of school. The gunman approached on the outside of the building and began firing a rifle into the windows toward the children sitting in the pews. He struck both children and worshippers with various weapons, including a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol.
O’Hara also added that there were dozens of children at the mass at the time.
He later said the shooter was in his early 20s and did not have a known criminal history. Additionally, the shooter left behind a vehicle that is also being searched.
Minneapolis’s mayor, Jacob Frey, said earlier in the same conference: “Children are dead. There are families that have a deceased child. You can not put into words the gravity, the tragedy, or the pain of this situation… Those families are suffering immense pain right now. Think of this as if it’s your own.”
Crews at the scene reported seeing a large number of ambulances, according to CBS. Sources told ABC News that there are multiple victims from a shooting that took place during morning drop-off at Annunciation Catholic school in Minneapolis.
Children’s Minnesota hospital told the Minneapolis Star Tribune that it currently has five children “admitted to our hospital for care” and “will not share more details to respect the privacy of our patients and families”.
The city of Minneapolis’s official X account said there is “no active threat to the community at this time” as of 10:29am EST.
“The shooter is contained. Stay away from the area to allow emergency personnel to help victims – W. 54th Street between Lyndale and Nicollet Ave,” the city wrote.
The suspect is reportedly dead, according to Fox 9. The outlet also reported that the first call to law enforcement went through at 8.27am local time, shortly after a mass for students was slated to kick off at 8.15am.
“A man dressed in all black and armed with a rifle was reported at the scene,” the Richfield police department said.
Minnesota’s governor, Tim Walz, said he’d been “briefed on a shooting at Annunciation Catholic school” on Wednesday morning and would “continue to provide updates as we get more information”.
“The [Bureau of Criminal Apprehension] and State Patrol are on scene. I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence,” he wrote on X.
The US secretary of homeland security, Kristi Noem, said on X that the Department of Homeland Security is monitoring the shooting.
“We are in communication with our interagency partners, and will share more information as soon as it becomes available. I am praying for the victims of this heinous attack and their families,” Noem said.
Donald Trump also said on Truth Social on Wednesday morning that he’s been “fully briefed on the tragic shooting” and that the “White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!”
The Hennepin county sheriff’s office said in a statement that it was “actively assisting the Minneapolis Police Department and other law enforcement agencies” and urged “all residents to stay out of the affected area to allow emergency responders to operate effectively”.
“This is an evolving situation and we will continue to provide updates as more information becomes available. Our hearts go out to all those impacted by this act of violence,” it said.
Students at the Annunciation Catholic school, which enrolls children from preschool through eighth grade, only just returned for their first day back from summer break on Monday. The school’s Facebook page shared images this week of students reuniting and parking their bikes.
Wednesday’s incident marks the fourth shooting in 24 hours in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Over the course of Tuesday into Wednesday, three people were shot and killed in three separate shootings. At least eight people also suffered gunshot wounds in those incidents.
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