In a devastating act of violence, two children were killed and more than a dozen others were wounded during a morning Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church, where students of the affiliated Annunciation Catholic School were gathered for the first school Mass of the year.
The Incident:
At approximately 8:27 A.M.., the shooter who was later identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman opened fire from outside the church, using multiple legally purchased firearms, including a rifle, shotgun, and pistol. Dozens of rounds were fired through stained-glass windows, striking students and parishioners inside .
The victims included two children, aged 8 and 10, who were killed while sitting in the pews . In addition, 21 others were injured including students and elderly individuals.Most of them are expected to survive their wounds .
The attacker died by suicide at the scene after the shooting concluded.
Who Was the Shooter?
Authorities identified the criminal as Robin Westman, a former student of Annunciation Catholic School. Westman had no significant criminal record but reportedly held an obsessive admiration for past mass shooters and left behind disturbing writings and videos some of which are now under FBI investigation as potential hate-crimes or domestic terror .
Westman legally purchased the firearms used in the attack and appeared to have targeted the school community with calculated intent.
Community Response and Mourning
The community’s grief was immediate and profound. Hundreds gathered for candlelight vigils and memorials across Minneapolis, including at Lynnhurst Park, where mourners honored the lives lost and showed solidarity with survivors. Sources of NBC News where a mother of a student of the age of six gave us a comment on the tragic event.
“It’s going to be a long time before we are back to normal,” she stated. She has suffered a loss and so did many more parents.