Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the suspect is believed to have acted alone

The first Mass of the school year at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis was meant to be a moment of calm, a ritual of prayer before the busy fall season began.

Instead, it turned into a scene of unimaginable horror on Wednesday, August 27, when a former student opened fire through the church windows, killing two children and injuring seventeen others before turning a gun on themselves.

Authorities later identified the shooter as 23-year-old Robin Westman, a Minneapolis resident with past ties to the school.

Police confirmed that Westman had entered the grounds shortly before 10 a.m., armed with a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol.

Witnesses described the chaos that unfolded when bullets shattered the stained glass windows and pierced pews filled with children, parents, and elderly parishioners.

“We thought it was fireworks at first,” said one parent who had attended the service. “Then the screaming started, and we realized we were under attack.”

By the time the gunfire stopped, two children — an eight-year-old and a ten-year-old — had been pronounced dead at the scene. Fourteen other children were among the wounded, along with three elderly parishioners in their eighties.

The shooter died at the back of the church from what police believe was a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara addressed the public just hours later.

“This was an attack on the most innocent members of our community,” he said. “We believe the suspect acted alone, but this investigation will leave no stone unturned.”

The FBI quickly joined local law enforcement, confirming late Wednesday afternoon that the attack is being investigated as both domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.

FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized that the federal government was treating the assault with the highest urgency. “This was not random violence,” Patel stated. “It was an act of terror against a faith community. We will provide updates as our investigation continues.”

Details about Westman’s background have begun to emerge. Court records show that in 2019, Westman’s mother filed a petition to change her child’s name from Robert to Robin, noting in the filing that Robin identified as female and wanted her legal name to reflect that.

Family members confirmed that Westman attended Annunciation Catholic School for at least a year during childhood, and teachers recalled seeing the suspect on the grounds just last week while staff prepared classrooms for the start of the new term.

Westman’s mother had once been an employee of the school until her retirement in 2021, adding a layer of tragic familiarity to the attack.

Law enforcement officials noted that all three firearms used in the shooting had been legally purchased by Westman, though the timeline of acquisition is still under review.

Investigators also revealed that Westman appeared to have prepared a manifesto timed for release on YouTube, which included recordings at the scene and writings described as “deeply disturbing.”

The video was removed shortly after posting, but authorities are analyzing its contents to determine motive.

The shock of the violence rippled across Minneapolis, a city already grappling with divisions and debates over public safety. The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis issued a statement urging prayer and solidarity.

“Our hearts are shattered for the families who have lost children today, for those who were injured, and for all who witnessed this unthinkable violence,” it read.

Parents and parishioners gathered outside the school in the hours after the attack, clutching rosaries, holding one another, and demanding answers. One father, whose child survived with minor injuries, described the confusion as he searched through the crowd.

“I just kept yelling my son’s name, and then I saw him covered in blood that wasn’t his. He was carrying another student to safety.”

The larger community of Minneapolis has also been shaken. The city has long been home to one of the Midwest’s strongest Catholic populations, with Annunciation Catholic School serving generations of families.

The fact that the suspect had ties to the school only deepens the trauma for those connected to the parish. “This wasn’t just an attack on a building,” said one neighbor. “It was an attack on a place where children are supposed to be safe, where families have gathered for decades.”

The shooting comes at a time when school safety is under renewed scrutiny nationwide. Federal data shows a troubling rise in targeted violence against faith-based institutions, particularly churches and synagogues.

Experts note that the combination of accessible firearms and growing ideological extremism has increased the likelihood of attacks on religious communities.

“The targeting of children at a Catholic Mass is especially chilling,” said Dr. Emily Voss, a professor of criminology who studies hate crimes. “It underscores the need for more robust security measures at schools and houses of worship.”

For now, the immediate focus remains on the victims and their families. Vigils are already being organized across Minneapolis, with one scheduled outside Annunciation Church on Thursday evening.

Counselors have been dispatched to support survivors, many of whom were inside the church when the bullets first flew. Hospitals treating the wounded reported late Wednesday that several of the injured children remain in critical condition.

Chief O’Hara closed his briefing with words that echoed across the shaken city: “This community will not be defined by the evil we witnessed today. We will be defined by how we come together to heal.”

The story of what happened inside Annunciation Catholic School is still unfolding, but one fact is already painfully clear: on a morning meant for peace, prayer, and new beginnings, Minneapolis was confronted with yet another reminder of how fragile safety can be.

And as investigators sift through the shattered glass and broken pews, the city is left asking the same haunting question heard after every act of mass violence — why here, and why now?