U.S. President Donald Trump ordered flags lowered to half-staff following a shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that killed two children and injured 17 others on Wednesday.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the victims were aged eight and 10 and were killed while sitting in the pews. “Seventeen other people were injured, 14 of them children. Two of those children are in critical condition,” he said.
The suspect, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, allegedly acted alone and later died by suicide at the scene, according to O’Hara.
“He did not have an extensive known criminal record,” the police chief added.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting was being investigated as “an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics.”
Patel confirmed the suspect’s identity on social media, adding, “There were two fatalities, an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old. In addition, 14 children and three adults were injured. The shooter has been identified as Robin Westman, a male born as Robert Westman.”
Officers responded to an “active police situation” at the church, which also hosts a school serving students from preschool to eighth grade. The Minneapolis Police Department said there was “no active threat to the community” once the shooter had been contained.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz confirmed the incident, saying the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and State Patrol were on the scene.
“I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence,” he wrote on social media.
Hennepin Healthcare, which operates hospitals in the Minneapolis area, said it was treating patients from the shooting.
U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi added, “Our prayers are with everyone involved in this tragedy. Our team will provide updates as we receive them.”
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