Tragedy at Morning Mass: Two Children Killed, 17 Injured in Catholic School Shooting

   

-By Ruben Mario Brodrick 

MINNEAPOLIS — A peaceful morning mass at Annunciation Catholic School in south Minneapolis turned into a scene of terror and tragedy Wednesday when a gunman opened fire from outside the building, killing two children and injuring 17 others. Of those injured, 14 were children.

The attack, which city officials have called a "senseless act of violence," occurred around 8:45 a.m., shortly after the all-community mass had ended. Witnesses recounted a horrifying scene as an individual, dressed in black and armed with multiple weapons, fired shots through the windows of the church. Bullets struck several children who were still inside, praying.

The two children killed were ages eight and ten. Doctors reported that seven of the wounded children remain in critical condition.

Police confirmed that the shooter, believed to be in his early twenties with no significant criminal history, acted alone. He died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after the rampage. During their investigation, police found that the attacker used a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol. A smoke bomb was also discovered in his car.

As investigators work to uncover a motive for the attack, the community and city leaders, including the mayor and police chief, are grappling with the aftermath of this devastating event that shattered the start of the new school year.