2 children dead, 17 people injured in Minnesota church, school shooting

Two children are dead and 17 people were left injured after a mass shooting early Wednesday morning at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Two victims, an eight-year-old and a 10-year-old, were confirmed by police. Both were killed by the gunman, who opened fire through the church windows and struck the victims sitting in the pews.
An additional 17 people were injured, 14 of them children. According to police chief Brian O’Hara, two are critically ill. According to O’Hara, the shooter committed suicide “in the rear of the church.” O’Hara told reporters, “That coward has been identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman — no prior criminal history.” “There is no indication of other suspects directly involved in carrying out this attack,” O’Hara added.O’Hara said that the weapons used in the shooting were “purchased recently.”
Authorities are aware of an alleged manifesto posted online, O’Hara revealed. He stated that the content, which the shooter had timed for release on YouTube, has been removed “with the assistance of the FBI” and is currently being examined by investigators. Doors on the church’s exterior are said to have been barricaded by the shooter. It is believed that the shooter took most of his shots through the church windows and never went inside.“ Don’t just say that right now this is about thoughts and prayers; these kids were actually praying because it was the first week of school. They were in church,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said during an emotional press conference.“ They should be able to go to school or church in peace, without the fear or risk of violence, and their parents should have the same kind of assurance,” he added.“ This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshipping. The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible,” he said, noting that a wooden plank was placed to barricade some of the side doors.Governor Tim Walz wrote on X that he was aware of the incident, lamenting that it occurred just as children were back in class after summer break.“I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence,” he wrote.