Authorities have not released information on the shooter’s motives after two children were killed and more than a dozen were injured in Wednesday’s shooting.
A shooter fires at Minneapolis church, killing two children and hurting 17 people
The shooter fired during mass at an Announcement Church in Minneapolis, killing two children and injuring 17 people.
MINNEAPOLIS – The city was mourning the violent death of two children, but on Thursday, August 28, authorities tried to determine the motives of the suspect who opened the fire through a stained glass window at a rampaging Catholic church where 17 others were injured while praying for prayers.
Minnesotans met late Wednesday, August 27th for a prayer vigil in the memory of the victims. Attendees sat in folding chairs above the bleachers, standing along either side, listening to Archbishop Bernard Hebda speaking that night in the gymnasium at Holy Angels High School.
“I’m not usually that emotional, but I was really shaking,” said Elaina Polding, 17, who goes to the youth group at Annunciation Church.
Hebda spoke with the USA Today Network after the all night. When the FBI investigated the attack as “domestic terrorist acts and hate crimes targeting Catholics,” he emphasized the importance of maintaining faith.
The shooter, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, was armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol when the attack began at the accusation church around 8:30 a.m. in his hometown. The Mass was the beginning of the school year at the Announcement Catholic School.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Westman died behind the church from self-harm. He said the weapons used in the attack were legally purchased.
O’Hara said online messages from Shooter, released Wednesday, were rightly timed to be made public during the attack. He said the FBI ordered the YouTube clips to be removed and they were reviewing them.
O’Hara said the message “contains some disturbing writings,” adding that police have not confirmed their motives.
When asked if the attackers attended an announcement school, O’Hara said investigators had not confirmed it but were looking into it. Westman’s mother, Mary Westman, was an administrative assistant at the Announcement Church, according to public records cited by Reuters.
The attack killed two children, ages 8 and 10, and injured 17 people. The names of the deceased and injured have not been released.
The gunman was injured in the shooting with 14 children aged 6 to 15 and three adults in his 80s. Everything was expected to survive.
Contributions: Jeanine Santucci and Thao Nguyen
