Photo Credit:(AP: Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune)
 
Two children were killed and 17 others hurt when a gunman opened fire at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis during morning Mass on Wednesday. Authorities said the attack occurred just before 8:30 a.m., during a schoolwide Mass marking the first week of classes. Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that the victims included two children, aged eight and ten, who were killed as they sat in the pews.
 
“This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshipping,” O’Hara said. “The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible.”
 
Authorities said the gunman, thought to be in his early 20s, stood outside the church and fired through its windows with multiple firearms. Investigators believe he later died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the school parking lot. O’Hara said dozens of rounds were fired, but clarified there were no explosives, only what resembled a smoke bomb. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey spoke of the profound impact on families. “Children are dead. There are families that have a deceased child,” he said. “You cannot put into words the gravity, the tragedy or the absolute pain of this situation.”
 
Governor Tim Walz called the state “heartbroken,” urging parents to embrace their children. “From the officers responding, to the clergy and teachers providing comfort, to the hospital staff saving lives, we will get through this together,” he posted on X.
 
At least 14 of the injured are children, with several in critical condition. Dr. Thomas Wyatt of Hennepin County Medical Center said the hospital was treating 11 patients, including nine students, seven of whom required immediate surgery. Children’s Minnesota Hospital confirmed it had admitted additional young patients. “Our teams are trained to respond in times of crisis, and are fully prepared to care for impacted children,” the hospital said in a statement.
 
Witnesses described scenes of chaos. Local resident Andrew Winchell recalled hearing “incredibly loud and repeated ‘pop, pop, pop’” that lasted nearly two minutes. Others nearby saw children running from the church, while parents screamed in panic searching for their loved ones.  Father Erich Rutten, a Catholic priest from a neighbouring parish, comforted families at the scene. “We’re asking God to help in this situation,” he said, describing parents “wailing and crying, some stooping to the ground.”
 
President Donald Trump said he had been briefed and that the FBI was on scene. “The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!” he wrote.

The incident marks the fifth school shooting in the U.S. this year.