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.
Police said 14 of the injured were children, ages 6 to 15, and they are all expected to survive. The three adults who were injured are parishioners in their 80s, officials said.
The shooting happened at Annunciation Catholic School, just days after the first day of school on Monday.
“It’s my strongest desire that no state, no community, no school ever experiences a day like this,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said.
The White House said in a social media post that Trump ordered flags at half-staff for all government buildings until sunset on Sunday “as a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence.”
Children’s Minnesota, where some of the children injured in the shooting were taken, released a statement late Wednesday afternoon.
"Three children remain in our Minneapolis hospital for care as a result of the tragic incident this morning. Four patients have been discharged. Our thoughts are with all the victims, their families and loved ones in our communities who are impacted by yet another senseless act of violence. We will not share more details to respect the privacy of our patients and families."
Here's the latest:
All injured children are expected to survive, police chief says
O’Hara said all of the victims are expected to survive, though they have a range of injuries.
O’Hara also said dozens of officers responded to the shooting and many of them — as well as the children and staff present in the church — are deeply traumatized by what they saw.
Authorities are aware of video the shooter posted online, O’Hara says
O’Hara said the content, which the shooter had timed for release on YouTube, has been taken down and is under active review.
The shooter lawfully purchased the firearms used in shooting, police chief says
O’Hara identified the shooter as 23-year-old Robin Westman, adding that Westman had no prior criminal history and law enforcement believes he acted alone.
‘Minnesotans will not step away’
“What happened here today will not be gone. Minnesotans will not step away. We’re standing with this community,” Walz said during the news conference.
He added that violence is all too common across the country and “it’s Minnesota’s day today.”
“It’s my strongest desire that no state, no community, no school ever experiences a day like this,” he said.
Walz says students were met with ‘evil and horror and death’
“There’s no words that’s going to ease the pain of the families today,” the governor said at a news conference Wednesday afternoon.
Walz called the church a place founded on community, service and family.
Minneapolis shooting being investigated as domestic terrorism
In a post on X, FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting is being investigated as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics.
Walz orders US and Minnesota flags to fly at half-staff at all state buildings
The governor also urged individuals, businesses and other organizations to do so. He did not set a date for raising flags.
‘My heart is broken’
The archbishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Bernard Hebda, thanked Pope Leo XIV for his prayers and prayers from others around the globe.
“My heart is broken as I think about students, teachers, clergy and parishioners and the horror they witnessed in a Church, a place where we should feel safe,” the archbishop said in a statement. Hebda said staff from the archdiocese are providing support to the parish and school.
“We need an end to gun violence. Our community is rightfully outraged at such horrific acts of violence perpetrated against the vulnerable and innocent,” he wrote.
North Dakota governor directs flags to be flown at half-staff
In neighboring North Dakota, Gov. Kelly Armstrong directed flags to be flown at half-staff in accordance with the president’s proclamation, and said he and his wife, Kjersti, “are heartbroken for our neighbors in Minnesota and praying for the victims of the unspeakable act of violence at Annunciation Catholic School and their families. We are grateful for the first responders and medical professionals caring for the victims.”
Pope Leo XIV calls the shooting a ‘terrible tragedy’ and prays for the relatives of the dead and those injured
Pope Leo XIV has sent a telegram of condolences over the shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, calling it a “terrible tragedy” and saying he was praying for relatives of the dead and injured “at this extremely difficult time.”
Leo, history’s first American pope, said he was “profoundly saddened” to learn about the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School church. He sent his condolences “to all those affected by this terrible tragedy, especially the families now grieving the loss of a child.”
The Chicago-born Leo said he was praying for those injured and the medical teams and first responders at the scene, and for the broader Catholic community.
The telegram was signed by the Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, and was addressed to Archbishop Bernard Hebda, the archbishop of St. Paul-Minneapolis.
-Nicole Winfield
US Conference of Catholic Bishops releases statement, asking for healing
In response to the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minn., Archbishop William E. Lori, vice-president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement.
“As a Church, we are following the tragic news from Annunciation School in Minneapolis with heartbreaking sadness. Whenever one part of the Body of Christ is wounded, we feel the pain as if it were our very own children. Let us all beg the Lord for the protection and healing of the entire Annunciation family.”
Trump orders flags at half-staff to mark Minneapolis shooting
The White House said in a post on X that Trump signed a proclamation Wednesday afternoon ordering flags to be lowered at all government buildings until sunset on Sunday “as a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence.”
‘Minnesota is heartbroken’
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz posted on X: “Minnesota is heartbroken. From the officers responding, to the clergy and teachers providing comfort, to the hospital staff saving lives, we will get through this together. Hug your kids close.”
Over a dozen children and 2 adults are being treated at trauma hospitals
Hennepin Healthcare, the main trauma hospital in Minneapolis, said in a statement that they received 10 patients, including several children — ages 6 through 14 — and two adults. Seven were considered to be in critical condition.
The hospital previously said it had received 11 patients.
Children’s Minnesota, a pediatric trauma hospital, said it admitted several children ages 9 through 16.
Authorities say the shooter is believed to have acted alone
The police chief said the shooter was in his early 20s, did not have an extensive known criminal history and is believed to have acted alone, but did not release the name or information on possible connections to the school.
A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that authorities have identified the shooter as Robin Westman. That official was not authorized to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.