At Least Two Killed As Shooter Storms Minneapolis Catholic School

At least two children, aged 8 and 10, have lost their lives after a gunman invaded a Catholic church in Minneapolis and began shooting during the parish school’s opening mass of the school year.

Seventeen individuals, including children, were reportedly injured in the attack, which took place on Wednesday, August 27, during the initial week of classes at a Minneapolis Catholic school, according to authorities and a hospital.

The assailant, clad entirely in black and allegedly wielding a semiautomatic weapon, “pepper-sprayed” bullets through the stained glass windows at Annunciation Catholic Church this morning.

A devastated parent who was present at the mass told The Star Tribune that the shooter fired “50 to 100 shots” while students and staff were seated in pews and “k!lled two kids”.

“This is terrible,” the parent added. “This is evil. I don’t know how you defend against this.”

At least 20 individuals are feared to have been shot in the incident, though authorities have not yet verified the total number of victims, according to DailyMail.

The gunman is deceased, law enforcement sources informed FOX 9.

Gov. Tim Walz described the violence as “horrific.”

The Minneapolis city government stated that the shooter had been “contained” following the gunfire at Annunciation Catholic School, and there was no longer an “active threat” to residents.

Walz posted on social media that he had been updated on the shooting.

“I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence,” Walz wrote on X.

As police, FBI, other federal agents, and ambulances descended on the school, an individual answering the phone there said students were being evacuated.

A spokesperson for Hennepin Healthcare, which operates Minnesota’s largest emergency department, stated in a text message that it was actively responding to an emergency but provided no further details.

A social media post from the organization confirmed it was treating patients from the shooting.

President Donald Trump stated in a Truth Social post that he had been briefed on the “tragic shooting” and that the White House would continue to monitor the situation.

The school had scheduled an all-school Mass for 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday, according to its website. Monday marked the first day of school, with social media photos from that day showing students in green uniforms greeting each other at bicycle racks, smiling for the camera, and sitting together.

The gunfire was the latest in a series of deadly shootings in the city within less than 24 hours. One person was killed and six others were injured in a shooting on Tuesday afternoon, August 26, outside a high school in Minneapolis. Hours later, two people died in two separate shootings in the city.

A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.

Nnamdi Okoli