Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey gave a heartfelt statement following a tragic mass shooting that claimed the lives of two children.
The shooting unfolded just after 8:20AM at Annunciation Church and Catholic School, which serves nearly 400 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade, per NBC News.
Students had gathered for a back-to-school mass when the gunfire erupted.
Authorities confirmed that two children, aged eight and 10, were killed as they sat in their pews. Seventeen others — 14 children and three adults — were injured, with two children initially in critical condition.
Hospitals across Minneapolis reported treating the wounded: Hennepin Healthcare received 11 patients, including nine children and two adults, while Children’s Minnesota treated another five.
Doctors later said seven were critically injured, four required surgery, but all were expected to survive.
The shooter was identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, who was born Robert and legally changed their name to Robin three years ago.
Westman’s mother, Mary Grace Westman, had worked as a secretary at Annunciation School for five years before retiring in 2021.
Police say Westman was dressed in black and carried a rifle, shotgun, and pistol. Witnesses described dozens of rounds being fired through the stained-glass and side windows into the church.
A wooden plank had been used to barricade some doors from the outside, and authorities also recovered a smoke bomb, though no explosives were found.
Westman was found deceased due to a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Mayor Jacob Frey delivered an impassioned address at a press conference not long after the attack, per the Independent.
“Children are dead, there are families that have a deceased child. You cannot put into words the gravity, tragedy or absolute pain of the situation,” he said.
He controversially urged people not to dismiss the moment with prayers: “Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now, these kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school, they were in a church.”
He later called the attack an “unspeakable act.”
President Donald Trump offered condolences to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who wrote that he is “praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.”
President Donald Trump offered condolences to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, who wrote that he is “praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.”
Witnesses described the horror of the morning. One man said he saw the shooter pepper-spray through the stained glass before firing “50 to 100 shots,” per Sky News.
Another, Bill Bienemann, recalled: “It went on for several minutes – a long time for live gunfire. I know what gunfire sounds like, and I was shocked. I said there's no way that could be gunfire, there was so much of it. It seemed like a rifle, it certainly didn't sound like a handgun, so he must have reloaded several times.”
His daughter Alexandra, shaken by the attack, added: “It makes me sick to my stomach knowing that there's probably people I know that are injured or maybe have been killed. It doesn't make me feel safe at all in this community that I have been a part of for so long. Me and my friends were talking, and we said this is like our version of 9/11.”
Our thoughts are with all those impacted by this horrific event.