Minnesota experienced a tragic event when a shooting at a Catholic school resulted in multiple casualties. The incident took place on Wednesday morning at Annunciation Church and Catholic School in Minneapolis, with the tragic loss of at least two young lives and injuries to 17 individuals.
Police identified the shooter as Robin Westman, a 23-year-old who changed his name from Robert Westman in 2020. The individual responsible for the attack is confirmed to have died by suicide, according to police reports.
Responding promptly to reports of gunfire, authorities found that the incident had unfolded during the school's weekly mass. “An unthinkable tragedy,” was how Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara described the scenario at Annunciation Church and Catholic School in Minneapolis. The shooter, described to be in his 20s, shot through the church's windows, resulting in the injury of several individuals.
Among the victims, two children, aged 10 and 8, lost their lives. A total of 17 individuals sustained injuries, including 14 children, with two in critical condition. “The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible,” remarked Chief O'Hara. “The coward who fired these shots ultimately took his own life in the rear of the church.”
The tragedy has left its mark on families and the community. “Our hearts are broken for the families who have lost their children, for these young lives that are now fighting to recover, and for our entire community that has been so deeply traumatized by this senseless attack.”
Following the incident, Minneapolis authorities communicated the situation to the public. They tweeted that there was “an active police situation at Annunciation Church,” which serves students from kindergarten through eighth grade. Reassurances were given: “There is no active threat to the community at this time. The shooter is contained. Stay away from the area to allow emergency personnel to help victims,” as tweeted by the city.
The city’s follow-up tweet informed families to proceed to the reunification zone at Annunciation School, located at 525 West 54th Street.
According to the New York Times, victims were transported to Hennepin County Medical Center in downtown Minneapolis, while six individuals received care at Children's Minnesota.
Meanwhile, Another shooting incident occurred less than 24 hours before the Annunciation School tragedy. Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis witnessed another round of gun violence, resulting in one fatality and injuries to six others.
St. Paul-based 5 Eyewitness News reported the details: a suspect exited a vehicle, fired close to 30 rounds at a group of individuals, and subsequently fled the scene. Police currently do not find any connections between the two tragic events.
