Gunman Opens Fire During School Mass In Minneapolis Church, Leaving Children Injured

Authorities in Minneapolis say they are still investigating the motive behind a deadly attack on a church that left several children and worshippers wounded, sparking shock, grief and anger across the community.

Police Chief Brian O’Hara condemned the assault, telling reporters: “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 attack unfolded just before 08:00 local time (13:00 GMT) on Wednesday at Annunciation Church in southern Minneapolis, which also houses a school for children aged five to fourteen. Police said the gunman approached the side of the church and fired dozens of shots through the windows using three firearms — a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol. Officers also recovered a smoke bomb at the scene.

Officials are working to determine whether the suspect entered the building or remained outside, noting that no bullet casings were found inside.

A neighbour, Patrick Scallen, who ran towards the church after hearing gunfire, told the BBC he saw children fleeing. “I saw three children running from the church, one of them a girl with a head wound. She kept saying ‘Please hold my hand, don’t leave me’ and I said I wasn’t going anywhere.”

A 10-year-old boy who survived the attack said his friend saved his life by shielding him from bullets. Speaking to CBS affiliate WCCO, he recalled: “I was like two seats away from the stained glass window. My friend, Victor, saved me though, because he laid on top of me, but he got hit. My friend got hit in the back, he went to the hospital… I was super scared for him but I think now he’s okay.”

As night fell, a steady stream of mourners gathered at the church, leaving flowers and prayers. Many expressed disbelief that such an attack had happened at the start of a school Mass ushering in the new term.

Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, paid tribute to the victims, saying he was “profoundly saddened” by the events.

Investigators later identified the suspected gunman as Robin Westman, whose mother, Mary Grace Westman, previously worked at the school before retiring in 2021. Police said Westman had prepared a note to be published online at the time of the attack, which has since been deleted.

Court records show Westman legally changed name and gender identification in 2020, when a judge noted: “Minor child identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.”

At a press conference, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned the wave of hostility directed at the transgender community following the attack. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, however, described Westman as “a man, claiming to be transgender”, while in a post on X, Congressman Patel referred to the suspect as “a male.”

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz said President Donald Trump had reached out with condolences and an offer of federal assistance. “The situation is all too common – not just in Minnesota, but across the country,” Walz said. “I hope no community or school ever has to go through a day like this.”

Trump later announced that the US flag would be flown at half-mast at the White House in honour of the victims.

  Boluwatife Enome 

The post Gunman Opens Fire During School Mass In Minneapolis Church, Leaving Children Injured appeared first on Arise News.