Catholic School Shooting Leaves Two Children Dead and 17 Injured

Catholic School Shooting Leaves Two Children Dead and 17 Injured

  • Two young children were tragically killed and 17 others injured when a gunman opened fire during a school Mass at a Catholic church in Minneapolis
  • Authorities say the attacker, armed with multiple firearms, fired through church windows before taking his own life
  • The motive remains unclear as the community reels from what officials have called a deliberate and incomprehensible act of violence

Two children, aged eight and ten, were killed and 17 others injured when a gunman opened fire on schoolchildren attending Mass at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Wednesday morning, according to local authorities.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that 14 of the injured were children, with two currently in critical condition.

Gunman opens fire during Catholic school Mass in Minneapolis, killing two children and injuring 17.
Minneapolis church shooting leaves young victims as authorities search for motive behind deadly attack. Photo credit: KuranPio/GettyImages
Source: Getty Images

The suspected gunman, who was armed with a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol, reportedly took his own life at the scene. Authorities have yet to determine a motive for the attack.

“This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshipping,” O’Hara said during a press briefing. “The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible.”

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Gunman fired through church windows

Police stated that the assailant, a man in his 20s dressed in black clothing, stood outside Annunciation Church and fired dozens of rounds through the windows while schoolchildren were seated in the pews. Officials noted that the suspect did not appear to have an extensive criminal history.

Eyewitness Bill Bienemann, a local resident who has long attended Mass at the church, told The Associated Press, “I was shocked. I said, ‘There’s no way that could be gunfire.’ There was so much of it. It was sporadic.”

Community and national leaders respond to tragedy

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz expressed his sorrow in a social media post, writing, “I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.”

Children’s Minnesota hospital confirmed that it had admitted at least five children following the shooting.

US President Donald Trump described the incident as a “terrible situation” and said he had been “fully briefed on the tragic shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota.” In a statement on his Truth Social platform,

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Trump added, “The FBI quickly responded, and they are on the scene. The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!”

Authorities are continuing to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack, which has sparked renewed concern over gun violence in places of worship and schools across the United States.

No further details have been released regarding the identity of the shooter or any possible connections to the victims.

Tragic school Mass shooting in Minnesota sparks national grief and urgent calls for answers.
Tragic school Mass shooting in Minnesota sparks national grief and urgent calls for answers. Photo credit: VignetteGB/GettyImages
Source: Twitter

Families of Texas school shooting victims sue gunmaker

Legit.ng earlier reported that several families whose children were killed or wounded in a mass shooting at their Texas school two years ago have sued the gun manufacturer as well as Instagram and video game company Activision for marketing the weapon, their lawyer said Friday.

Nineteen young children and two teachers were killed in the city of Uvalde on May 24, 2022 when a teenage gunman went on a rampage with an AR-15 style assault rifle at Robb Elementary School, in America's deadliest school shooting in a decade.

Source: Legit.ng

Authors:
Basit Jamiu avatar

Basit Jamiu (Current Affairs and Politics Editor) Basit Jamiu is a journalist with more than five years of experience. He is a current affairs and politics editor at Legit.ng. He holds a bachelor's degree from Ekiti State University (2018). Basit previously worked as a staff writer at Ikeja Bird (2022), Associate Editor at Prime Progress (2022), and Staff Writer at The Movee (2018). He is a 2024 Open Climate Fellow (West Africa), 2023 MTN Media Fellow, OCRP Fellow at ICIR, and Accountability Fellow at CJID. Email: basit.jamiu@corp.legit.ng.