Extra particulars are rising after a shooter opened fire at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis throughout a Mass attended by younger college students, killing two children and wounding greater than a dozen different folks. The shooter died by suicide on the church, which is connected to a college constructing.
Eighteen different youngsters and adults had been injured in Wednesday’s taking pictures, which occurred throughout a Mass marking the start of the varsity 12 months.
Here is what we all know in regards to the taking pictures.
What occurred at Annunciation Catholic Church?
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara mentioned in a Thursday information convention that the division acquired calls of photographs fired at 8:27 a.m. Wednesday. A police officer arrived on the scene at 8:31 a.m. and was directed to the shooter’s location by a parishioner, O’Hara mentioned.
O’Hara mentioned the shooter fired a rifle by church home windows and was additionally armed with a shotgun and a pistol. The taking pictures occurred firstly of the Mass, O’Hara mentioned. Three shotgun shells and 116 rifle rounds have been recovered, in addition to one dwell spherical from the shooter’s handgun that malfunctioned and have become caught within the weapon’s chamber, O’Hara mentioned Thursday.
A authorities official briefed on the investigation and a legislation enforcement supply informed CBS Information that the shooter was sporting all black clothes.
An 8-year-old and a 10-year-old had been killed whereas they sat within the pews, police mentioned.
Eighteen others, together with 15 youngsters between the ages of 6 and 15, had been injured, O’Hara mentioned. The variety of injured rose from 17 to 18 on Thursday when officers mentioned one other injured little one, who was transported to an space hospital by a non-public automobile, had been recognized. The three injured adults had been all parishioners of their 80s, O’Hara mentioned on Wednesday afternoon.
Bruce Kluckhohn / AP
Police instantly entered the church and tried to offer first assist, O’Hara mentioned. The injured had been rushed to space hospitals.
Hennepin County Medical Heart acquired 10 sufferers and mentioned one grownup and 5 youngsters had been in vital situation. One grownup and three youngsters had been being handled for non-life-threatening accidents. Kids’s Minnesota mentioned Thursday that it had discharged six sufferers and was treating one little one. It didn’t share the statuses of the sufferers it was nonetheless treating. M Well being Fairview Masonic Kids’s Hospital mentioned it had one pediatric affected person in steady situation.
All the injured youngsters are anticipated to outlive, O’Hara mentioned Wednesday afternoon.
Households of Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski difficulty statements
The households of the 2 youngsters who had been killed — 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski — spoke out for the primary time on Thursday, every issuing statements and asking the general public to respect their privateness.
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“Fletcher cherished his household, pals, fishing, cooking and any sport that he was allowed to play,” Jesse Merkel, Fletcher’s father, mentioned Thursday whereas delivering the household’s assertion. “Whereas the outlet in our hearts and lives won’t ever be crammed, I hope that in time, our household can discover therapeutic. I pray that the opposite sufferer’s household can discover some semblance of the identical.”
Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin additionally issued a joint assertion.
“Harper was a vibrant, joyful, and deeply cherished 10-year-old whose laughter, kindness, and spirit touched everybody who knew her,” the assertion learn. “Our hearts are damaged not solely as mother and father, but in addition for Harper’s sister, who adored her huge sister and is grieving an unimaginable loss. As a household, we’re shattered, and phrases can’t seize the depth of our ache.”
Who was the shooter at Annunciation Catholic Church?
Three legislation enforcement sources informed CBS Information the shooter was Robin Westman, 23, from suburban Minneapolis. The shooter acted alone, O’Hara mentioned. Westman died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound behind the church.
The shooter not too long ago purchased the three weapons legally and doesn’t have any identified felony historical past, based on O’Hara. O’Hara informed CBS Information on Thursday that no legislation in Minnesota would have prevented Westman from shopping for the weapons.
The shooter visited the church weeks earlier than the taking pictures and apparently performed surveillance there, based on a Minnesota official and a federal legislation enforcement supply with information of the investigation.
O’Hara mentioned police executed search warrants at three residences related to the shooter. “Further firearms” had been recovered through the searches, he mentioned on Wednesday. O’Hara mentioned hundreds of pieces of evidence had been recovered from the residences on Thursday. O’Hara informed CBS Information that police are additionally looking out digital gadgets.
Officers seek for a motive
O’Hara mentioned he couldn’t touch upon any motive. He informed CBS Information that Westman was “deranged” and had an obsession with previous shootings. Police haven’t recognized a “triggering occasion” for the taking pictures, O’Hara mentioned. He warned in Thursday’s information briefing that the investigation won’t present the solutions the general public is in search of.
“This particular person had a complete vast number of hate to varied people and teams,” O’Hara informed CBS Information. He added within the Thursday information convention that the shooter needed to acquire notoriety and was fascinated with earlier mass shootings.
Investigators mentioned they’re conscious of a video Westman had scheduled to put up on YouTube because the taking pictures occurred. The police chief described it as a manifesto that included “some disturbing writings.” The YouTube account and its movies have been taken down, and FBI investigators and different legislation enforcement officers are wanting into them, O’Hara mentioned. CBS Information has reached out to YouTube for remark.
Westman seems to have attended the varsity, based on CBS Information’ Confirmed crew. Westman’s mom labored as a parish secretary on the church, based on its website, and as an administrative assistant on the faculty, based on a newsletter. She retired from the church in 2021, based on a Fb post from the church.
The taking pictures is being investigated as an act of home terrorism and hate crime concentrating on Catholics, FBI Director Kash Patel mentioned Wednesday on social media.
In an X post on Thursday, Patel mentioned the shooter left “a number of anti-Catholic, anti-religious references,” expressed “hatred and violence towards Jewish folks” and “wrote an specific name for violence towards President Trump on a firearm journal.”
Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune through Getty Photos 
Officers react to church taking pictures
President Trump mentioned on Fact Social that he had been “totally briefed on the tragic taking pictures” and mentioned the White Home would “proceed to observe this horrible state of affairs.”
“Please be part of me in praying for everybody concerned,” Mr. Trump mentioned.
On Wednesday afternoon, Mr. Trump signed a proclamation calling for flags on the White Home and different federal buildings to be flown at half-staff till Aug. 31 “as a mark of respect for the victims.” The White Home flags had been lowered moments after the proclamation was signed.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz mentioned he had been briefed on the taking pictures and was “praying for our youngsters and lecturers whose first week of faculty was marred by this horrific act of violence.” Walz additionally mentioned that he had spoken with Mr. Trump.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey known as for change after the taking pictures.
“Do not simply say that is about ideas and prayers proper now. These youngsters had been actually praying,” Frey mentioned. “It was the primary week of faculty, they had been in a church. These had been youngsters that ought to be studying with their pals. They need to be enjoying on the playground. They need to be capable of go to highschool or church in peace with out the concern or danger of violence, and their mother and father ought to have the identical form of assurance.”
contributed to this report.
