A gunman opened fire at a Minneapolis Catholic School on Wednesday, killing two and injuring 17, said officials.
Armed with a pistol, shotgun, and rifle, the shooter, later identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, shot dozens of rounds through the side of the church, where children were sitting for mass. The shooter then shot himself.
The incident happened just before 8:30 a.m.
Two children aged 8 and 10 died in the attack. Fourteen other children and three parishioners were injured, but are expected to recover.
Weston Halsne, a fifth-grader who was inside the church during the shooting, said he ducked beneath the pews and covered his head. His friend, who shielded him by lying on top of him, was struck by a bullet.
The 10-year-old said he was terrified for his friend but said he feels relieved now knowing that he will be okay.
Halsne’s grandfather, Michael Simpson, said the incident left him questioning whether God had been watching over them at all.
Kash Patel, the director of the FBI, wrote on X that they are currently investigating the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism.
While authorities have not yet found a motive for the shooting, nor a relationship between the gunman and the church, they have found a social media post written by the shooter that contained “some disturbing writings.”
Westman’s uncle, Bob Heleringer, a former Kentucky state lawmaker, said he didn’t know his nephew well and had last seen him a few years ago at a family wedding.
The police chief confirmed that Westman acted alone and had no known criminal history.
Bill Bienemann, who lives just a few streets from the school and regularly attends Annunciation Church, said he heard as many as 50 gunshots fired within minutes. He remembered thinking there was no way those sounds could be gunshots.
His daughter, Alexandra, a church alumna, said the thought of young children being killed or attacked made her feel “sick to her stomach.”
Aubrey Pannhoff, a 16-year-old student from another Catholic school in the area, rushed to Annunciation Church after her own school went into lockdown. She said she asked God, “Why?”
The new school year at Annunciation had only just begun on Monday in the residential neighborhood, located a few miles south of downtown Minneapolis.
