Shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school kills two children, injures 17 people
Published:Wednesday | August 27, 2025 | 1:13 PM
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — 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.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said the shooter — armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol — approached the side of the church and shot through the windows toward the children sitting in the pews during Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School.
The school was evacuated, and students' families were later directed to a "reunification zone" at the school. President Donald Trump and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said in separate social media posts that they had been briefed on the shooting.
Hennepin Healthcare, the main trauma hospital in Minneapolis, said in a statement that they received 10 patients, including eight children — aged 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 paediatric trauma hospital, said it admitted seven children ages 9 through 16.
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 authorised to discuss the ongoing investigation and spoke on condition of anonymity.
Dating to 1923, the pre-kindergarten through eighth grade school had an all-school Mass scheduled at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to its website.
Monday was the first day of school, and social media photos from that day show students in green uniforms greeting each other at bicycle racks, smiling for the camera and sitting together.
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