‘Kids died today’: Two students killed in Minneapolis Catholic church shooting

A person opened fire on students celebrating the first Mass of the school year at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis on Wednesday, killing two children and wounding 14 other students and three adults before dying by suicide. The FBI is investigating the shooting as a hate crime and an act of domestic terrorism.

The shooting was the fourth to occur in Minneapolis in 24 hours. 

An 8-year-old and a 10-year-old died when the shooter fired more than a dozen shots through church windows at children and adults sitting in the pews, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told reporters. The incident caused hysteria among families as Mayor Jacob Frey said staff stepped up to prevent the tragedy from becoming worse.

“What happened here today will not be gone,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in an afternoon briefing. “Minnesotans will not step away. We’ll stand with this community.”

President Donald Trump posted on Truth Social that he had been briefed on the shooting. He signed an executive order directing all flags on public buildings to fly at half-staff.

All 17 hospitalized victims are expected to survive their injuries, O’Hara said.

Ten victims — eight children and two adults — were being treated at Hennepin Healthcare. The hospital said six of the children and one of the adults were in critical condition.

Thomas Wyatt, the hospital’s chair of emergency medicine at Hennepin Healthcare, told reporters in an afternoon briefing that the patients ranged in age from 6 to 14 years old. 

Children’s Minnesota cared for the seven other victims.

FBI Director Kash Patel announced on X that the bureau is investigating the incident as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime against Catholics. O’Hara, however, said the Minneapolis police have not established a motive for the shooting as an investigation is ongoing.

“Kids died today,” Frey said at a press conference, urging people to take action to prevent future shootings.

Majority of victims children

The identities of the two children killed have not been released. Officials noted that the children started school on Monday and were in a routine mass, which involved several other parishioners. 

Pope Leo XIV sent a telegram to Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis, expressing his condolences to everyone affected by the shooting, especially to “the families now grieving the loss of a child,” Hebda said during a briefing. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, signed the message.

Annunciation Catholic School Principal Matt DeBoer told reporters that staff and older children helped to protect younger kids from gunfire as the shooting occurred.

“To any of our students, families or staff watching right now: I love you,” DeBoer said as his voice broke. “You’re so brave, and I’m so sorry this happened to us today.”

Frey wrote on X that people shouldn’t think of the victims as someone else’s children, but as their own, who just started school. 

“They should be laughing and goofing off in the hallways right now,” the mayor wrote. “They should be learning and playing with their friends.”

Shooter’s motive investigated

O’Hara identified the shooter as 23-year-old Robin Westman, who formerly was known as Robert. According to Minnesota court records, Westman sought to change her name to reflect her gender identity. A District Court judge approved Westman’s request.

Frey said Westman’s gender identity should not be used to attack the transgender community. 

“Anybody who is using this as an opportunity to villainize our trans community or any other community out there has lost their sense of common humanity,” he said. “We should not be operating out of a place of hate for anyone.”

He added that police are reviewing a YouTube video that Westman allegedly timed to push when the shooting started. The video is no longer accessible on the platform.

The department isn’t aware of a motive yet as an investigation is underway, O’Hara said.

He added that police found Westman armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol at the scene, which Westman legally obtained as she had no prior criminal history. Three search warrants were issued for the homes of people whom O’Hara said were related to Westman. 

Kristen Painter, the business editor for the Minnesota Star Tribune, rushed to the school where her daughter attends second grade. Her preschool son stayed home sick as Painter dropped her daughter off before heading into work.

She got word of the shooting as she traveled to work, the paper wrote.

“It sounds so cliché, but it’s your worst nightmare,” she said.

She, along with a number of parents, rushed to the school and were ushered to a basement for reunification with their children, many of whom were either crying or looked terrified. Her daughter came home on Monday, excited for the first day of school, but now, she is scared to go back.

24 hours of violence

The church shooting was the fourth in Minneapolis in 24 hours, according to the Star Tribune. One of the three shootings happened near the Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, where one person was killed. 

O’Hara said two people were arrested and charged in connection with the shooting near the high school. Six people suffered gunshot wounds in the incident. 

Police don’t believe the school shootings to be related.

The Star Tribune reported that one man died and another was wounded after a person fired into a group at close range overnight on Wednesday. A Tuesday night shooting in the city left one man dead and another injured.

“Obviously, this has been the most difficult,” O’Hara said, referring to the Annunciation shooting. “The dozens of officers that responded to this scene, many of them are deeply traumatized by what they saw, as are the staff members, Father Dennis, everyone who was at mass.”