by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Washington D.C. Bureau Staff
Minneapolis, Minn. (Worthy News) – Two children were killed and 17 others wounded Wednesday morning when a gunman opened fire during a school mass at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in south Minneapolis, authorities said.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed the victims were an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old who were seated in the pews when the attack began. Fourteen of the wounded were children, two of whom remained in critical condition Wednesday afternoon.
“This was sheer cruelty and cowardice — firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible,” O’Hara told reporters.
Attack During Morning Mass
The shooting occurred just before 8:30 a.m. during a service marking the first week of school. Witnesses said dozens of students and parishioners were gathered inside when gunfire erupted.
O’Hara said the attacker, a man in his early 20s dressed in black, approached the side of the church and fired dozens of rounds through the windows using a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol. Officials also discovered a smoke bomb and makeshift barricades placed against exit doors, apparently to trap worshipers inside.
The suspected gunman was later found dead in the church parking lot from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. Authorities are searching his vehicle and other properties in an effort to determine his motives. He had no known extensive criminal history, and it is unclear if he had any ties to the church or its school.
Witness Accounts
Neighbors described a terrifying scene as shots rang out across the quiet residential neighborhood.
“I could hear ‘boom, boom, boom,'” said P.J. Mudd, 49, who lives a block away. “There was a pause between each shot. It suddenly dawned on me — it was a shooting.”
Mudd rushed to the church where he found shell casings and discarded magazines on the ground.
Emergency Response
Six children were taken to Children’s Minnesota hospital, while others were transported to nearby trauma centers. Emergency crews quickly secured the scene, and police stressed there is no ongoing threat to the public.
Governor Tim Walz confirmed that State Patrol and the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension were assisting Minneapolis police. Federal agents from the FBI and ATF also responded.
Mayor Jacob Frey said he was in close contact with law enforcement. “Our officers need time and space to respond, but more details will be shared soon,” he said.
National Response
President Donald Trump said he had been briefed and that the White House is monitoring the situation. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino said agents were already at the scene.
The shooting came less than 24 hours after another deadly incident just five miles away, where one person was killed and five wounded.
Minnesota’s congressional delegation, including Senators Amy Klobuchar and Tina Smith, condemned the violence and praised first responders.
A Community in Mourning
Annunciation Catholic School, located in an affluent South Minneapolis neighborhood, serves students from preschool through eighth grade and holds weekly Wednesday morning masses.
By midday, parents, parishioners, and neighbors gathered outside the police cordon, some in tears as they waited for word on their children.
“This community is devastated,” O’Hara said. “But we will do everything in our power to support the victims’ families and bring clarity to what happened inside this sacred place.”
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
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