LIVE COVERAGE: Two young children were killed and 17 others were injured in a shooting during a Catholic Mass packed with young students in south Minneapolis Wednesday morning. The gunman is also dead. Click here to get my breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the shooting triggered a massive law enforcement response to Annunciation Catholic Church at West 54th Street between Harriet and Garfield avenues around 8:30 a.m. The church is attached to a school building.
The gunman approached from the outside of the building and fired a rifle through the church windows towards children and worshippers, O’Hara said. The shooter also used a shotgun and a pistol.
An 8-year-old and a 10-year-old were killed while they sat in the pews. Of the 17 others injured, 14 are children. At least seven victims were in critical condition when they arrived at a nearby hospital.
Law enforcement sources tell CBS News the shooter was Robin Westman, age 23, from suburban Minneapolis.
Court documents show that when he was 17, Westman applied in Dakota County to change his birth name from Robert to Robin. That request was granted in January of 2020.
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President Donald Trump has been briefed on the situation, he said, and the White House is monitoring updates.
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From FBI Director Kash Patel: We are aware of reports of a shooting at a Catholic school in Minnesota. FBI agents are on scene, and we ask everyone to keep potential victims, civilians or law enforcement in harm’s way in your prayers. The @FBI will provide updates as more information becomes available.