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Minneapolis authorities said at least two children are dead and more than a dozen were injured Wednesday after a shooter opened fire during a mass at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minnesota.
The attacker, a man who was in his early 20s and dressed in black clothing, targeted the mass, which marked the first week of classes for children attending the school, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.
“During the mass, a gunman approached on the outside on the side of the building and began firing a rifle through the church windows towards the children sitting in the pews at the mass. Shooting through the windows, he struck children and worshipers that were inside the building,” O’Hara said. “The shooter was armed with a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol. This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshiping. The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible.”
“Two young children, ages eight and 10, were killed where they sat in the pews. Their parents have been notified. Seventeen other people were injured, 14 of them being children,” O’Hara added, noting that “the coward who fired these shots ultimately took his own life in the rear of the church.”
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Mayor Jacob Frey said, “There are no words that can capture the horror and the evil of this unspeakable act.
“We are a Minneapolis family. But to everybody out there, do not think of these as just somebody else’s kids. Those families are suffering immense pain right now. Think of this as if it were your own. Every one of us needs to be wrapping our arms around these families, giving them every ounce that we can muster,” he added.
The Minneapolis Police Department shared a message from the city of Minneapolis confirming “there is no active threat to the community at this time” and “the shooter is contained.” A law enforcement source told Fox News that the shooter – who has not been publicly identified at the time of this report – is deceased.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said, “I’ve been briefed on a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School” and “I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.”
Hennepin Healthcare wrote on X that it is caring for people injured in the shooting, while Children’s Minnesota Hospital said six children are being treated.
Footage taken at the scene on Wednesday showed parents leading their children away from the school. Residents who live in the area said they heard so much gunfire they didn’t initially call police, thinking it was someone roofing their house, according to Fox 9.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said, “DHS is monitoring the horrific shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis.”
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“We are in communication with our interagency partners, and will share more information as soon as it becomes available. I am praying for the victims of this heinous attack and their families,” she continued.
ATF agents “are responding to reports of an active shooter situation at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis,” according to the agency’s St. Paul Office.
President Donald Trump said he has been “fully briefed on the tragic shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
“The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene. The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!” Trump added on Truth Social.
The school at the church serves grades K-8 and began on Monday, Fox 9 reported.
Fox News’ David Spunt and Rachel Wolf contributed to this report.
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