The Minneapolis community is reeling in grief following a mass shooting tragedy that left two young Catholic school students dead and 17 injured as they were attending a traditional Mass to start the new school year, the Associated Press reports.
The attack occurred at approximately 8:30am CDT during the school Mass, mere moments into the service. Two young students, an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old, were killed in the attack. Seventeen others were injured, including 14 children and three elderly parishioners in their 80s. Many of the children are expected to survive; some were critically wounded, and several required surgeries.
Robin M Westman, 23, was identified as the lone shooter. They carried out the attack with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol, all legally purchased, and then died by suicide at the scene. Westman had previously changed their name in 2020 — they were assigned male at birth and had elected to identify as female. Their mother once worked at the school, adding a deeply personal connection to this tragedy.
Law enforcement discovered a disturbing manifesto and video content linked to the shooter. The FBI is now investigating the incident as both a potential domestic terrorism act and a hate crime targeting Catholics.
First responders acted swiftly, entering the church, rendering aid, and helping children who were hiding. Educators and older students showed heroism, shielding younger ones during the chaos, according to news reports.
Annunciation Catholic School, a century-old institution (opened in 1923) serving students from pre‑K to grade 8, now faces a profound loss in its earliest days of the new academic year. Families, teachers, students, and neighbors are gathering in grief, holding vigils, lighting candles, laying flowers, and supporting one another in the face of unfathomable sorrow.