Minneapolis awoke to tragedy on Wednesday when gunfire shattered a back-to-school Mass at Annunciation Catholic School, leaving two kids useless and 17 others injured. The violence, which unfolded inside a home of worship, has rattled the town and forged a pall over what ought to have been a day of celebration and renewal.

At a press convention hours after the assault, Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that the victims had been eight and ten years outdated, killed as they sat quietly in church pews. “Their parents have been notified,” O’Hara stated, his voice heavy with grief. Fourteen of the wounded had been kids, two of whom stay in vital situation. Armed with a rifle, shotgun, and handgun, the gunman fired by means of classroom home windows and into the sanctuary earlier than taking his personal life. O’Hara denounced the assault as an “unthinkable tragedy,” describing the shooter as a coward.

Hospitals deal with survivors as households mourn

Mayor Jacob Frey didn’t mince phrases. “Children are dead. There are families that have a deceased child,” he stated, urging Minnesotans to rally round these enduring unimaginable loss. At Hennepin County Medical Center, Dr. Thomas Wyatt stated 11 sufferers had been handled—9 kids and two adults, ages six to 14. Four required surgical procedure, however, he famous, “no further deaths occurred among those admitted.” Children’s Minnesota Hospital confirmed it was additionally caring for 5 younger sufferers.

Governor Tim Walz stated he had been briefed and pledged continued updates because the investigation unfolds. President Donald Trump posted on social media, calling for prayers for the households affected. Renee Lego, a parishioner whose kids had been inside the college, described the fear: “It’s just horrific – so cowardly,” she stated, including that her kids first mistook the gunfire for fireworks.

The capturing was the fourth in Minneapolis inside 24 hours, a grim reminder of the toll gun violence continues to tackle colleges. Nationwide, greater than 140 shootings have already been reported at elementary and secondary colleges in 2025. For Minneapolis, the instant process is mourning and restoration, even because the neighborhood searches for tactics to forestall such devastation from putting once more.