Breaking: Devastating Shooting at Minneapolis Catholic School—2 Children Killed, 17 Injured
A tragic tragedy unfolded on Wednesday, August 27, at Annunciation Catholic School and Church in south Minneapolis—an attack that has left a city in shock and mourning.
The Horror Unfolds
At approximately 8:30 a.m., students and worshippers gathered for the first-week-of-school Mass when chaos erupted. A lone gunman dressed in black opened fire from outside the church, shooting through stained-glass windows with multiple firearms. The attack claimed the lives of two innocent children, aged 8 and 10, and wounded 17 others, including 14 children and three elderly parishioners. Authorities confirmed the suspect—a 23-year-old identified as Robin Westman—died by suicide on the scene.
A Paradise Turned Ground Zero
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara condemned the act, calling it a “deliberate act of violence against innocent children and worshippers” and labeling it incomprehensible in its cruelty. Teachers and older students shielded younger children as gunfire tore through the quiet sanctuary.
Investigation Underway
The FBI has launched an investigation into the shooting, treating it as a possible act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics. Among the materials found were disturbing messages and a manifesto that hint at extremist intent.
Voices of Sorrow and Outrage
Minnesota leaders responded swiftly. Governor Tim Walz shared his heartbreak: “This horrifying act of violence has marred the first week of school.” Mayor Jacob Frey rejected empty platitudes of “thoughts and prayers,” noting the devastating irony: “These kids were literally praying.” Elders and national figures—including President Trump and Pope Leo XIV—issued statements of grief and solidarity.
A City Under Siege
This marks Minneapolis’s fourth shooting incident in under 24 hours, including an unrelated attack at a Jesuit high school that killed one person and injured six. Though not directly connected, the string of violence has heightened public anxiety and fury.
A Bulletin of Grief
The children and parishioners injured are expected to recover, though the emotional scars will run deep.
Vigils and memorials have quickly sprung up across the city.
Flags have been ordered flown at half-staff nationwide by the President
Final Word
Two children never came home today, their lives cut short in a place meant for sanctuary. Minneapolis stands in collective grief, demanding answers—and real action—to prevent another Monday morning of prayer from turning into tragedy.
