Annunciation church and school shooting: What we know so far

Annunciation Church shooting: Police Chief Brian O'Hara update [FULL]

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara provided an update Wednesday afternoon on the mass shooting at Annunciation Church that killed two children, wounded 14 others as well as three adults.

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A shooting at Annunciation Church and Catholic School in south Minneapolis on Wednesday injured 18 people and killed two children.

Minneapolis school shooting

What we know:

Shortly before 8:30 a.m., several agencies responded to the report of a shooting at the Annunciation Church and Catholic School, located on the 500 block of West 54th Street in south Minneapolis.

According to Minneapolis Police Department Chief Brian O'Hara, a masked gunman approached from the outside of the church and began firing several weapons through the church windows toward children. The gunman was armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol, and is believed to have fired dozens of rounds cumulatively from all three, according to police.

By 9:20 a.m., both the FBI and ATF reportedly had responded to the scene.

Annunciation Church shooting: Principal says 'This is a nightmare'

Annunciation Catholic School Principal Matt DeBoer and Twin Cities Archbishop Bernard Hebda spoke Wednesday afternoon following the mass shooting that left two children dead, 14 other kids and three adults wounded.

First responders arrived to rescue hiding children throughout the church, according to O'Hara, when they learned of an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old that had died. During the attack, 18 others were also injured, 15 of whom were children. Two remain in critical condition as of Wednesday afternoon.

The suspect, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, reportedly died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the parking lot of the church.

FOX 9 has confirmed Westman’s mother previously worked at Annunciation. The shooter’s mother also applied to change her child’s name from Robert to Robin in Dakota County in 2019, according to court documents obtained by FOX 9. According to the name change filing, Westman identified "as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification."

Police did locate what is believed to be the shooter's car and are searching it for further evidence.

Dig deeper:

The Annunciation Church and Catholic School is for pre-kindergarten through eighth-graders. Students returned to school on Monday, Aug. 25.

Students were in mass at the time of the shooting. 

Annunciation School shooting: 20 victims reported

Police say there are 20 victims in a shooting at Annunciation School in Minneapolis. FOX 9 Morning News reporter Se Kwon brings you the latest from the scene.

What they're saying:

During a press conference on Wednesday, a visibly upset Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said, "Children are dead. You cannot put into words the gravity, tragedy and pain of this situation. Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers… These kids were literally praying."

"This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshiping," O’Hara said during the press conference.

Annunciation School shooting: Most kids were in Mass

Sources say most students were attending morning Mass when the shooting occurred. There are 20 victims, police say. FOX 9 reporter Corin Hoggard has the latest on parents reuniting with their children.

Around 9 a.m., Minnesota Gov. Walz tweeted:

"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. I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence."