Two children killed and 17 injured in Minneapolis shooting, attacker dead by suicide

According to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, the attack happened during a Mass marking the first week of school, when the assailant opened fire through church windows. The suspect later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The shooting took place just before 8:30 AM, when students and parishioners were gathering inside the church. Authorities described the incident as carefully planned. The attacker — armed with a legally purchased rifle, shotgun and pistol — blocked exits with wooden beams before firing in. The victims include 14 children and three elderly parishioners in their 80s, two of the children remain in critical condition, though all survivors are expected to recover.

The shooter was identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, who had no prior criminal record and, as O’Hara shared during the press conference, acted alone. Westman uploaded a manifesto to YouTube shortly before the attack, which reportedly showed the suspect at the scene and “included some disturbing writings.”

FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau is treating the incident as “an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.” Local police stressed that the investigation into motive is still ongoing.

US Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed that federal agents were also at the scene. “Our prayers are with everyone involved in this tragedy. Our team will provide updates as we receive them,” she said.

President Donald Trump ordered flags across the United States to be flown at half-mast until August 31 in honor of the victims. The shooting is the 146th such attack since January, according to the K-12 School Crime Database.

Over the past five years, the number of school shootings in the US has risen sharply. Data from the K-12 School Crime Database shows 116 incidents in 2020, 308 in 2022, 350 in 2023, and 337 in 2024. The Minneapolis attack is the 146th recorded in 2025.