Minneapolis is mourning after a devastating school shooting on Wednesday claimed the lives of two young children and left at least 17 others injured. The attacker, 23-year-old Robin Westman, a former student of the Annunciation Catholic School, carried out the massacre during a morning church service before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Authorities confirmed the victims included an eight-year-old and a ten-year-old, both pronounced dead at the scene. Of the 17 injured, 14 are children, with several still hospitalised in critical condition. The attack unfolded at the Annunciation Catholic Church and school in South Minneapolis, as students gathered for a back-to-school Mass, just days into the new academic year.
Westman, who once attended the school and whose mother previously worked there until her retirement in 2021, arrived armed and prepared. Police say the suspect opened fire through stained-glass windows, targeting students and staff in the middle of the morning service.
During an evening press conference, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed the attack was carried out by a lone individual, with no known accomplices. The FBI is now assisting in the investigation, although initial findings indicate Westman acted alone.