A tragic mass shooting unfolded on Wednesday, August 27, 2025, morning at Annunciation Catholic Church in south Minneapolis, leaving two children dead and 17 others wounded during a school Mass attended largely by students. Authorities confirmed the shooter also died at the scene.
Police Chief Brian O’Hara said officers responded to the church, which is attached to a school building on West 54th Street between Harriet and Garfield avenues, shortly after 8:30 a.m. The attacker opened fire from outside, using a rifle to shoot through church windows at children and worshippers. O’Hara added that the assailant also used a shotgun and a pistol, both of which had been purchased legally “recently.”
An 8-year-old and a 10-year-old were killed while seated in the pews. Among the 17 injured victims, 14 were children aged 6 to 15, while the remaining three were parishioners in their 80s. Seven victims arrived at hospitals in critical condition, but O’Hara later reported that all those injured are expected to survive.
“This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshipping,” said O’Hara.
Law enforcement sources identified the shooter as 23-year-old Robin Westman of suburban Minneapolis. Westman’s mother previously worked at Annunciation, retiring in 2021 after serving as both parish secretary and school administrative assistant.
Police executed four search warrants—one for the church and three tied to metro-area residences linked to the suspect. Investigators are also reviewing videos that Westman scheduled to post on YouTube Wednesday morning. The videos, since removed, reportedly contained journal entries referencing suicidal thoughts, prior mass shootings, and plans for an attack on children.
O’Hara noted that Westman had no significant criminal record and died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the back of the church. He said authorities have not established a clear motive and have not yet classified the shooting as a hate crime.
However, FBI Director Kash Patel stated on X that the bureau is treating the incident as both domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.
The Mass marked the start of the new academic year at Annunciation Catholic School. Principal Matt DeBoer praised the staff’s quick actions:
“I’m so sorry this happened to us today. Within seconds of this situation beginning, our teachers were heroes. Children were ducked down. Adults were protecting children. Older children were protecting younger children. It could have been significantly worse without their heroic action. This is a nightmare but we call our staff the dream team and we will recover from this.”
Parents also described the chaos. Pedro Maldonado, whose two children survived, said he rushed toward the church:
“I ran towards the backside of the school of the church to look for this guy,” he told CNN. “And I couldn’t find him probably a minute after, and then the first cop showed up, and I told the cop that [he] was in the back of the school and the church, and then the second cop arrived and then I told them as well that he was in the back of the school.”
His wife, Carla, who had previously volunteered during lockdown drills, added:
“I got to see how the teachers handled the classroom and the kids, and getting them to a safe spot. They do have active, dangerous person on the premises drills, and I have such mixed feelings right now, so many of them.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called the attack deeply painful, emphasizing the innocence of the victims:
“Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying,” said Frey. “It was the first week of school, they were in a church. These were kids that should be learning with their friends. They should be playing on the playground. They should be able to go to school or church in peace without the fear or risk of violence and their parents should have the same kind of assurance.”
Community members gathered Wednesday evening at prayer services and a candlelight vigil to honor the victims. Both Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and President Trump ordered flags lowered to half-staff nationwide.
“What happened today will not be gone. Minnesotans will not step away. We’ll stand with this community. We’ll redouble ourselves to do the best we can to understand what we can do to prevent any parents from having to receive the calls they received today,” said Walz.
Mr. Trump also posted on Truth Social:
He had been “fully briefed on the tragic shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota.”
“The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene. The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved.”
Hospitals across the Twin Cities reported treating multiple victims. M Health Fairview admitted one child in stable condition. Children’s Hospital treated seven patients aged 9 to 16, with four discharged by Wednesday afternoon. Hennepin Healthcare, a Level 1 Trauma Center, received 10 victims—eight children and two adults. By evening, one adult and five children remained in critical condition, while others were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries.
“We’ve had two mass casualty events happen in the last 24 hours. That does take a toll,” said Dr. Tom Wyatt, Chair of Emergency Medicine at Hennepin. “But we also have to recognize that we are here as a critical resource for our community and we have to take time to process the care that we deliver in these situations and we have to be able to move forward because we are obviously needed.”
Just a day earlier, another shooting four miles from Annunciation left one person dead and six others wounded. Police said the two incidents appear unrelated.
