On the morning of the 27th, a shooting incident occurred at a school in the southern part of Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA. Police confirmed that three people, including the gunman and two children, were killed, and another 17 were injured.
FBI Director Patel said in a statement that the Federal Bureau of Investigation will investigate the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime.
Minneapolis Police Chief O’Hara told the media that the shooting occurred at about 8:30am local time at a Catholic school. Police have identified the gunman as Westman, 23, who had no prior criminal record.
He stated that police believe the gunman acted alone. Westman approached a church near the school building where a morning mass was being held, then fired through a side window of the church at children sitting on the pews.
Police confirm that two children, aged 8 and 10, were killed instantly. Fourteen children aged between 6 and 15 were injured, and three elderly participants in the mass were also wounded.
Police said that after committing the crime, Westman shot himself in the parking lot behind the church. He used multiple weapons, including a rifle, a shotgun, and a handgun, all purchased legally.
O’Hara condemned this “deliberate act of violence of shooting into a church full of children,” calling it “cruel and cowardly beyond understanding.”
He said that Westman had posted a “manifesto” on a video sharing website; the video appeared to show him at the scene of the crime and “contained some disturbing text.” The content has been deleted by the site, and investigators are analyzing it to determine a motive.
Minnesota Governor Walz said that this incident has left Minnesota “heartbroken.”
Half-Staff Flags in Mourning
US President Trump announced that the nation’s flags would be flown at half-staff in mourning.
A White House announcement said that, to mourn the victims of this violent incident, from now until sunset on August 31, flags will fly at half-staff at the White House, all public buildings and grounds, military bases, and US embassies and consulates abroad.
White House officials said that President Trump has spoken with Governor Walz about the shooting.
Trump also posted on social media: “The FBI responded swiftly and arrived on the scene. The White House will continue to closely monitor this terrible situation.”
According to CNN, Westman graduated in 2017 from the Catholic school attacked that day.
Local media reported that the church school has a history of more than 100 years and offers classes from preschool to 8th grade; the new school year had just started on the 25th.
Latest statistics from the Gun Violence Archive website show that there have been at least 286 mass shooting incidents in the US this year. According to the site, a mass shooting is defined as an incident in which at least four people, excluding the gunman, are injured or killed.