At least two children, ages eight and ten, have died and 17 people have been injured after a man opened fire at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Among the injured are 14 children, two of them in critical condition, and three adults, according to police. The attacker took his own life after the attack. “There are no words to describe the horror,” said the city’s mayor, Jacob Frey.
The attack began around 8:30 a.m. local time (3:30 p.m. in mainland Spain), as students were attending a church service to celebrate the start of the school year. The attacker, dressed in black, approached one of the side windows and began shooting through the windows. He was carrying three firearms, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara: a rifle, a pistol, and a revolver. He had boarded up two of the doors to prevent worshippers from escaping, officers believe.
“During Mass, the gunman approached the side of the building and began firing a rifle through the windows at children sitting in the pews,” O’Hara said. “This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and others worshipping. The sheer cruelty and cowardice of shooting into a church full of children is incomprehensible.”
In the last 25 years, a total of 428 shootings have been recorded in schools and colleges in the United States, according to data collected by The Washington Post.
Police officers responded immediately to try to neutralize the attacker and rescue the children trapped inside the church."Two children, ages eight and ten, died while sitting in the pews," O'Hara added.
Police believe the attacker acted alone. The man, in his 20s, apparently with no criminal record, fired"dozens of rounds" of ammunition at the congregants.
“These children were praying. It was their first week of school. They were in a church. These are children who should be learning with their friends, playing in the playground. They should be able to go to school, or to church, in peace, without fear or risk of violence. And their parents should have the same guarantees,” the mayor emphasized.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz expressed his regret over the incident. “I have been made aware of a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School and will continue to provide updates as we have more information. The BCA and State Patrol are on the scene. I am praying for our children and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence,” he wrote on social media.
I’ve been briefed on a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School and will continue to provide updates as we get more information. The BCA and State Patrol are on scene.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) August 27, 2025
I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.
The shooting occurred two days after the start of classes at this private elementary school with approximately 395 students. The school is connected to Annunciation Catholic Church, and both are located in a residential area southeast of Minnesota's largest city.
US President Donald Trump has posted on his Truth Social network that he has been “fully briefed” about the tragedy. “I have been fully briefed on the tragic shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The FBI responded quickly and was on scene. The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation,” he wrote.
The White House has confirmed that the president and the governor of Minnesota spoke by phone following the incident.
