By Ayomide Otitoju
A gunman opened fire on schoolchildren attending Mass in Minneapolis on Wednesday, killing two pupils and wounding 17 others in what police described as a deliberate attack on worshippers.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the assailant, a man in his early twenties, entered the Annunciation Church in the city’s south as dozens of students gathered to mark their first week back at school.
“Two young children, ages eight and 10, were killed where they sat in the pews,” O’Hara told reporters. Of the 17 wounded, 14 were children.
The attacker fired a rifle, shotgun, and pistol before taking his own life in the church parking lot, authorities said.
Governor Tim Walz expressed grief over the incident, writing on X that he was “praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.”
Chief O’Hara condemned the shooting as “a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshiping,” calling the attack “sheer cruelty and cowardice.”
“Our hearts are broken for the families who have lost their children, for these young lives now fighting to recover, and for our entire community that has been so deeply traumatized by this senseless attack,” he added.
The tragedy is the latest in a long line of school-related shootings in the United States, where firearms outnumber citizens and political battles over gun restrictions remain unresolved.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said the community must not settle for platitudes. “Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school. They should be able to go to school or church in peace without fear of violence.”
President Donald Trump confirmed he had been briefed on the attack, saying the FBI was responding. “The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved,” he wrote on Truth Social.
The confirmed shooting comes amid a wave of recent false reports of active shooters on U.S. college campuses as students return from summer break.
