A morning Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis turned into a scene of horror on Wednesday when a gunman killed two children, aged 8 and 10, and wounded 17 other people. The church, which also houses a school, was filled with students at the time of the attack. Officials confirmed that 14 of the 17 injured victims were children, all of whom are expected to survive.
Authorities identified the attacker as 23-year-old Robin Westman, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene. Police said Westman, whose mother was a former employee at the church school, had no significant criminal history. Just before 8:00 a.m. local time, he approached the side of the building and fired dozens of shots through the windows using a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol.
The motive for the attack remains unknown, but federal authorities are treating it with the utmost severity. FBI Director Kash Patel announced that the shooting is being investigated as both an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime against Catholics. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara condemned the attack, stating, “The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible.”
One 10-year-old boy told a local news affiliate that his friend, Victor, saved his life by lying on top of him to shield him from the gunfire. “He laid on top of me, but he got hit,” the boy said of his friend, who was hospitalized but is expected to recover. A neighbor who heard the shots ran to the church and discovered discarded ammunition magazines on the ground.
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The tragedy prompted an immediate response from state and national leaders. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz lamented that the situation is “all too common – not just in Minnesota, but across the country,” expressing hope that no other community would have to endure such a day. He noted that President Donald Trump and his team had offered their deep condolences and federal assistance.
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In Washington, President Trump later announced that the U.S. flag would be flown at half-mast at the White House and other federal buildings as a mark of respect for the victims. The attack has sent shockwaves through the southern Minneapolis residential community where the church and school have long been a neighborhood fixture.
