At least two children lost their lives and 17 others suffered injuries in a mass shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis on Wednesday. The attack happened inside Annunciation Church during a service marking the first week of the new school year, CNN reported, quoting police sources.
Shooter killed himself after attack
Officials confirmed that the suspected gunman, a man in his early twenties, is dead. Police said he opened fire with a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol before taking his own life in the church parking lot. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara called it a “deliberate act of violence.”
Victims included children as young as eight
According to O’Hara, the attacker sprayed bullets into the church filled with students. “Two young children, ages eight and 10, were killed where they sat in the pews,” he said. Fourteen of the injured were also children. Two victims remain in critical condition.
Swift police response
City officials said the shooter was “contained” soon after the attack. Authorities stressed that there was no ongoing danger to the public. Students were quickly evacuated from Annunciation School, which sits beside the church in south Minneapolis.
Leaders react with shock
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz reacted on social media, writing, “I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.” President Donald Trump also said he had been briefed on the “tragic shooting” and noted that the White House was monitoring the situation.
I’ve been briefed on a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School and will continue to provide updates as we get more information. The BCA and State Patrol are on scene.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) August 27, 2025
I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.
Hospital on emergency alert
Hennepin Healthcare, which runs Minnesota’s largest emergency department, confirmed that it was treating victims from the shooting. However, it did not release details on the number of patients or their conditions.
School community in grief
Annunciation School, which educates students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, has served the community since 1923. According to its website, an all-school Mass had been scheduled for 8:15 a.m. on Wednesday. The school year had begun just two days earlier. Social media posts from Monday showed smiling students in green uniforms meeting friends after the summer break.
Violence grips Minneapolis
The tragedy followed a violent 24 hours in Minneapolis. On Tuesday afternoon, one person died and six were injured in a shooting outside another high school. Later that night, two more people were killed in separate shootings across the city.