Communities gathered at a candlelight vigil in Lynnhurst Park, Minneapolis on Wednesday with Minnesota lawmakers urging national action on gun control following a deadly shooting at a Catholic church earlier that day which killed two children and wounded 17 people.
Authorities said the attack was carried out by 23-year-old Robin Westman who carried three guns. He fired through stained-glass windows into the Annunciation Church where an all-school mass was being held to mark the start of the academic year.
The two children who died were 8 and 10-years-old.
Those who were wounded, 14 of them were students ages 6 to 18 and three parishioners in their 80s.
It sent worshippers diving behind pews for cover while older children scrambled to shield younger ones, officials said. At least two of the church exits were blocked by wooden planks barricaded outside the doors, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said.
Officials said the incident ended when Westman “took his own life” at the rear of the church and added that he did not have a criminal record and appeared to have acted alone.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison called for stricter gun laws, saying, “We need to think and pray about banning these weapons of war.”
Senator Amy Klobuchar praised the courage of teachers and church staff, adding, “Sixth graders should not have to protect first graders. We should be doing that.” Their presence highlighted the urgent need for both community solidarity and national policy change in response to gun violence.
Congresswoman Ilhan Omar also highlighted the need for national legislative action, stating, “You can change whatever laws you want in Minneapolis or Minnesota, but if we do not change the laws of these United States of America, none of our kids are going to be safe.”
Authorities confirmed that the shooting does not appear related to three other incidents in Minneapolis over the past 24 hours, including one at a Jesuit high school.
The vigil brought together local leaders, state officials, and residents to mourn the victims while emphasising the importance of taking action to prevent future tragedies.
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The visit also took on symbolic importance as the two leaders travelled to the liberated cities of Shusha and Fuzuli, areas Azerbaijan regained after decades of occupation.
Iran's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva said talks between the United States and Iran had made "good progress", with both sides set to establish working groups in the coming days to discuss sanctions relief and issues related to Iran's nuclear programme.
South Korea has announced it will accept North Korean prisoners of war captured by Ukrainian forces while fighting for Russia if they wish to relocate to the South, citing international law and opposition to forced repatriation.
A Ukrainian strike has damaged a school building in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to local authorities cited by the TASS news agency. No injuries were reported in the incident.
At least thirteen people have died and sixty-six have been injured following an explosion at Qatar's main liquefied natural gas (LNG) processing hub at Ras Laffan, authorities said on Sunday.
Cape Verde’s remarkable FIFA World Cup debut continued on Sunday (21 June) as the tournament newcomers held Uruguay to a 2-2 draw. Goalkeeper Vozinha was once again at the centre of the story, this time with his mother watching from the stands.
Tehran has agreed to let the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) recommence inspections of its nuclear programme, U.S. Vice President JD Vance has said. The U.S. and Iran have settled on a 60-day roadmap aimed at reaching a final deal, according to mediators Qatar and Pakistan.
Armenia and Azerbaijan have agreed on a landmark internet deal that will allow traffic to pass through Azerbaijani networks.It's the latest deal to highlight the ongoing peace process between the two countries.
Three students have been killed and at least seven injured after two of their peers opened fire in a high school in the Philippines, police said. A spokesperson for the police said the two suspects, aged 14 and 15, had been arrested and a police pistol confiscated. Bullying is a possible motive.
South Korea has announced it will accept North Korean prisoners of war captured by Ukrainian forces while fighting for Russia if they wish to relocate to the South, citing international law and opposition to forced repatriation.
A Ukrainian strike has damaged a school building in a Russian-controlled area of Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia region, according to local authorities cited by the TASS news agency. No injuries were reported in the incident.
Authorities in France are reporting that about 20 people have died over the weekend while swimming in unsupervised areas of rivers, lakes and coastal waters as they tried to escape the heatwave.
A shooting in Montreal, Canada has left three people dead, including a police officer, a civilian and the suspected attacker, police said.
Attendees at undeclared free parties in France could face on-the-spot fines of €1,500 ($1,713) or up to six months in prison under proposed new legislation currently being reviewed by the French National Assembly.
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