A mass shooting occurred at Annunciation Catholic School in south Minneapolis on Wednesday, leaving 17 individuals injured, including 14 children, with two fatalities confirmed by authorities. The suspect, identified as the shooter, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after opening fire into the school.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara stated that the assailant targeted a group of children during prayer, using a rifle, shotgun, and pistol. “The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible,” O’Hara said in a public statement. He added that investigators found a smoke bomb at the scene, though its purpose remains under investigation.
Witnesses described chaotic scenes as students and staff fled the building. Mike Garrity, a local resident, recounted seeing about a dozen crying children exit the school, with at least three covered in blood. Faculty members reportedly urged others to stay away from the area as police arrived.
The incident has sparked urgent calls for increased security measures in schools and places of worship following the violence. No further details about the shooter’s motives or background have been released.
