Minneapolis Shooter Kills Two Children in Church Attack

MINNEAPOLIS – A lone assailant opened fire on a Catholic church in Minneapolis on Wednesday, killing two children and wounding 17 other people, before taking their own life at the scene. The attack occurred during a morning Mass for students of the parish school.

The gunman, identified by police as 23-year-old Robin Westman, used three legally purchased firearms to fire dozens of rounds through the church's stained-glass windows. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the suspect then died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the rear of the building. O’Hara noted that the exits of the church had been barricaded with wooden planks.

The violence, which turned the morning Mass into a scene of panic, resulted in the deaths of two children, aged 8 and 10. The 17 wounded victims included 14 students, ranging from ages 6 to 18, and three parishioners in their 80s. All of the injured are expected to recover.

Federal officials are investigating the attack as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime. According to police, a video manifesto by the suspect showed Westman had a history of depression and an interest in past mass shootings. The video was removed by authorities. Records indicate Westman had been a student at the same school and had legally changed their name in 2020.

In response to the tragedy, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey cautioned against politicizing the event, stating that anyone using the incident to target the transgender community "has lost their sense of common humanity." This statement followed a comment from a federal official claiming the suspect identified as transgender.

The assault on the Annunciation Catholic School marked the 146th incident of gun violence at a primary or secondary school this year, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database. The fact that the assailant fired from outside the building, using recently acquired firearms, distinguishes this case from many other school shootings. U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff nationwide in mourning.