US: The pre-kindergarten through Grade 8 school, which reopened for classes on Monday, had scheduled an all-school Mass at 8:15 am on Aug 27. The shooting has disrupted what was meant to be a prayerful and celebratory beginning to the school year.
A tragic shooting unfolded on Wednesday (August 27)ย at a Minneapolis Catholic school, leaving two children dead while they were in prayer and injuring 17 others, including 14 kids, according to the cityโs police chief and mayor. Authorities confirmed that the shooter also died in the incident.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian OโHara said the shooter- armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol- approached the side of the church and shot through the windows toward the children sitting in the pews during Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School. OโHara added that the shooting suspect is dead and in his early 20s and does not have an extensive known criminal history.
Governor calls incident a โHorrific act of violenceโ
Governor Walz, writing on social media, said he had been briefed about the incident and expressed concern for the safety of students and staff.
โI’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence,โ he wrote on X.
Students evacuated for safety
School authorities earlier confirmed that students were being evacuated from the building as law enforcement teams and emergency responders rushed to the scene. A person answering calls at the school assured that evacuation procedures were underway.
Shooting during 1st week of school
The pre-kindergarten through Grade 8 school, which reopened for classes on Monday, had scheduled an all-school Mass at 8:15 am on Wednesday. The shooting has disrupted what was meant to be a prayerful and celebratory beginning to the school year.
1st week of school begins in joy, ends in tragedy
Monday marked the first day of school at the Minneapolis Catholic institution, with social media posts showing students in green uniforms joyfully greeting each other at bicycle racks, posing for photos, and sitting together in classrooms. The cheerful start to the academic year has now been overshadowed by the shocking shooting incident on Wednesday.
City reels under wave of shootings
The school gunfire comes amid a spike in violence in Minneapolis, where multiple shootings have rocked the city in less than 24 hours. On Tuesday afternoon, a shooting outside a high school left one person dead and six injured, followed hours later by two more shootings that claimed two additional lives. The back-to-back incidents have deepened concerns over public safety.