Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed.
Two children were killed and 17 other people were injured at a Catholic church and school in Minneapolis on Aug. 27, officials said.
A man opened fire from outside the building as children attended Mass at Annunciation Church and School just before 8:30 a.m., Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told reporters during a briefing.
Bullets struck 19 people, including 14 children. Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed. Two other children are in critical condition.
The shooter killed himself in the rear of the church, O’Hara said. All or most of the shots were fired from outside, he added.
“This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children, and other people worshipping. The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible,” the police chief said.
O’Hara declined to release details about the man beyond saying he was in his early 20s and used a rifle, shotgun, and pistol.
Officers are searching the man’s vehicle and plan additional searches related to the incident, officials said.
Annunciation Church runs a school for students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. The school year started on Monday.
Officers on the scene included personnel from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
President Donald Trump wrote on Truth Social that he was briefed on the shooting.
“The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene,” he said. “The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!”
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said on X that he was briefed on the shooting.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said during the briefing: “There are no words that can capture the horror and the evil of this unspeakable act. Children are dead. There are families that have a deceased child. You cannot put into words the gravity, the tragedy, or the absolute pain of this situation.”
The shooting took place after a series of others in the city this week, including one on Tuesday afternoon that left one person dead and six injured. The shooting on Wednesday appeared unrelated to the other shootings, according to the police.
