Catholic school shooting kills two children, aged 8 and 10 - what we know so farpublished at 12:47

12:47

Image source, Reuters

Here's a recap of what we’ve learnt from updates given by the Minneapolis mayor, police and the hospital, about what police chief Brian O'Hara described as a"deliberate act of violence against children and worshippers":

The victims

Two young children, aged eight and 10, were killed in the shooting.

Seventeen others were injured, with 14 of them being children. A doctor said seven children are in critical condition - earlier, police said two.

The gunman

Authorities have identified the attacker as 23-year-old Robin Westman, from suburban Minneapolis, who police say died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

They say Westman did not have an extensive criminal history, and acted alone.

The attacker was believed to have used three weapons - a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol. A smoke bomb was also found in what police believe is Westman's car.

Police are still searching for a motive.

The shooting

Police said the suspected gunman approached from outside the church and fired dozens of rounds through the windows, hitting children who were inside praying during a first week of school mass.