Two children were killed and 17 others were wounded at a Catholic school in the US city of Minneapolis on Monday when a gunman opened fire on students attending mass on the third day of the new school year, authorities said, Reuters reported.
The gunman fired through the windows of the school chapel at students sitting in their classrooms before killing himself, officials said. The children who died were aged eight and ten.
"This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people who were praying. The sheer cruelty and cowardice of shooting in a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible," said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara.
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Kesh Patel said the case is being investigated as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime directed against Catholics.
Patel identified the attacker as Robin Westman, who public records show is a 23-year-old resident of the area. Court records show Westman's name was changed from Robert Westman in 2020, on the grounds that he identifies as a woman.
The shooting at Blagovijesti Catholic School, a private elementary school with about 395 students, was the 146th such incident since January, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database. The ongoing spate of shootings has prompted new security measures and heated debate over gun laws.
"Don't just talk about thoughts and prayers now. These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school. They were in church," a visibly outraged Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey) said at a news conference.
Officials said the gunman fired dozens of rounds using a rifle, shotgun and pistol. At least two of the chapel's doors were barricaded on the outside with 2x4 boards, O'Hara said.
Local hospitals said they were treating 14 children and two adults, many of whom suffered gunshot wounds.
Fifth-grader Weston Halsne told CBS News that his friend was hit by a bullet while trying to protect him.
"The shots were right next to me. I think the gunpowder ended up in my neck," Halsne said.
Officials said the shooter did not have an extensive criminal history and were trying to determine a motive. They added that a smoke bomb was found at the scene and a vehicle in the parking lot was searched.
Public records showed that Westman's mother, Mary Westman, previously worked as an administrative assistant at the Church of the Annunciation.
Police vehicles were deployed outside the house listed in public records as Westman's address, a few kilometers south of the school. Westman's relatives declined to comment.
According to a source familiar with the investigation, law enforcement is investigating multiple videos posted online by the attacker.
United States President Donald Trump has ordered flags across the country to be flown at half-staff as a sign of mourning.
Officials said Wednesday's shooting appeared to be unrelated to three other shootings in Minneapolis in the past 24 hours, including one at Jesuit High School, in which three people died.
Minneapolis has seen a significant increase in homicides following the police killing of George Floyd in 2020, which sparked nationwide unrest and staffing issues for the city's police force. The city recorded 54 homicides last year, down from 71 in 2021 but up significantly from 29 in 2019.
According to the organization "Everytown for Gun Safety," Minnesota as a whole has a firearms death rate below the national average.
Minnesota was also hit by political violence in May, when a gunman disguised as a police officer killed the state's Democratic House majority leader and her husband, and wounded a Democratic senator and his wife, in what authorities described as targeted killings. The suspect has pleaded not guilty to federal murder charges.
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