A tragic shooting shook the city of Minneapolis on Wednesday when a gunman opened fire inside a Catholic church during a school service, killing two children and injuring 17 others, according to the police.
The attack happened at Annunciation Church, located next to its affiliated Catholic school in southern Minneapolis, as dozens of pupils were attending a Mass marking their first week back to school.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the shooter fired multiple weapons — including a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol — at innocent worshippers.
“Two young children, ages eight and ten, were killed where they sat in the pews,” O’Hara said. “Seventeen others were wounded, including 14 children. Two of the victims remain in critical condition.”
After the attack, the gunman took his own life in the church parking lot. He was described as a man in his early twenties, with no major criminal record, and investigators believe he acted alone. Police are analyzing notes and digital evidence left behind to determine a possible motive.
Doctors at Hennepin County Medical Center confirmed that nine children and two adults were being treated for gunshot wounds, some requiring emergency surgery. The children’s ages ranged from six to 14 years old.
Outside the church, panicked parents were seen rushing to safety with their children, who were wearing their school’s green polo uniform.
“Minnesota is heartbroken,” said Governor Tim Walz in a statement on X (formerly Twitter). “From the officers responding, to the clergy and teachers providing comfort, to the hospital staff saving lives — we will get through this together. Hug your kids close.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned the attack, saying:
“Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying. They should be playing on the playground, not fearing for their lives in church.”
US President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the incident and confirmed that the FBI was assisting with the investigation.
This shooting is part of a growing trend of mass shootings in the United States. According to the Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 287 mass shootings in 2025 alone. Last year, over 16,700 people were killed by gun violence, excluding suicides.
The Minneapolis attack comes just two months after the killing of a top Democratic lawmaker and her husband in the same state, and amid an increase in false active shooter reports at schools and universities as students return from summer break.
Chief O’Hara called the shooting “a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and worshippers”, describing it as “sheer cruelty and cowardice.”
