Minneapolis School Shooting Leaves 2 Dead, 17 Injured
Minneapolis School Shooting Leaves 2 Children Dead, 17 People Injured
The city of Minneapolis is once again grieving after a horrific mass school shooting claimed the lives of two young children and left 17 others injured at Annunciation Catholic School on the city’s south side.
The violence unfolded Wednesday morning during a school Mass, shattering what should have been a moment of worship and community. Authorities say the gunman, a man in his early 20s, approached the church from the outside and opened fire with a rifle through the windows, aiming directly at children seated in the pews. He was also armed with a shotgun and a pistol.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the shooting occurred just before 8:30 a.m. local time during a Mass in the first week of classes at Annunciation Catholic School, when a shooter standing outside fired through church windows at worshippers.
“This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshipping,” O’Hara said. “The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible.”
After unleashing terror inside the sanctuary, the gunman reportedly died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the rear of the church.
Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed instantly as they sat in the pews. Seventeen other people were injured in the hail of gunfire, including 14 children. Two of the children remain in critical condition.
The school was quickly evacuated, and families were directed to a reunification zone. Emergency crews rushed victims to nearby hospitals. Hennepin Healthcare, the city’s main trauma facility, treated 11 patients—nine children and two adults. Dr. Thomas Wyatt, chair of emergency medicine, said four of the patients required immediate surgery. The children treated ranged from ages 6 to 14.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives confirmed that at least one firearm has been recovered from the gunman, with tracing protocols now underway.
The massacre is the fifth school shooting of 2025, according to NBC News’ tracker, following similar incidents in California, Florida, Texas, and Tennessee earlier this year.
Reactions poured in as the scale of the tragedy became clear. Former congresswoman and gun violence prevention advocate Gabby Giffords expressed both heartbreak and outrage on X, writing:
“Kids should be learning, laughing, making friends — not running for their lives on the very first week of school. Another community is now traumatized by a mass shooting. How many more children will have to live this nightmare before our elected leaders do something?”
House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries called the shooting “horrifying,” stressing, “Weapons of war have no place in our neighborhoods, streets or schools.”
“The shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis is horrifying,” Jefferies wrote. “Praying for the children, families and first responders during this moment of terror and unimaginable grief. Weapons of war have no place in our neighborhoods, streets or schools.”
Youth-led advocacy group March for Our Lives released a blistering statement, noting:
“Gun violence is the leading cause of death for children in America. Today in Minneapolis, that meant stained glass blown apart by bullets and kids slaughtered in church. A parent called it evil. They’re right. But let’s be clear: this isn’t just evil — it’s policy. It’s the direct result of people in power cashing checks from the gun industry while our kids are murdered. They know children are dying. And they choose it anyway. We will not live in a country that executes children in schools and churches. We will not accept their cowardice. We demand action. And we will not stop until the killing ends.”
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and President Donald Trump both confirmed they had spoken on the incident.
Trump, who in the past has faced criticism for selective outreach after mass shootings in Minnesota, said in a post on his social media site Truth Social that he had been fully briefed on the shooting and that the Federal Bureau of Investigation was on the scene, before noting in the press that the White House would “continue to monitor the situation closely.”
“The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!” he said.
The Minneapolis Police Department said in a post on Facebook Wednesday morning that the shooter was “contained” and there was “no active threat to the community at this time.”
This is a developing story.
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