Investigators on Thursday have been working to seek out extra clues after a shooter opened fireplace at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis throughout a Mass attended by younger college students, killing two youngsters and wounding greater than a dozen different individuals. The shooter died by suicide on the church, which is hooked up to a faculty constructing.
Eighteen different youngsters and adults have been injured in Wednesday’s taking pictures, which occurred throughout a Mass marking the start of the varsity yr.
This is what we all know in regards to the taking pictures.
What occurred at Annunciation Catholic Church?
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara mentioned legislation enforcement responded to the taking pictures round 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. O’Hara mentioned the shooter fired a rifle by way of church home windows and was additionally armed with a shotgun and a pistol. The taking pictures occurred at the start of the Mass, O’Hara mentioned.
A authorities official briefed on the investigation and a legislation enforcement supply instructed CBS Information that the shooter was carrying all black clothes.
An 8-year-old and a 10-year-old have been killed whereas they sat within the pews, police mentioned.
Eighteen others, together with 15 youngsters between the ages of 6 and 14, have been injured, O’Hara mentioned. The variety of injured rose from 17 to 18 on Thursday when officers mentioned one other injured baby had been recognized. The three injured adults have 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 have been rushed to space hospitals.
Hennepin County Medical Middle obtained 10 sufferers and mentioned one grownup and 5 youngsters have been in essential situation. One grownup and three youngsters have been being handled for non-life-threatening accidents. Youngsters’s Minnesota mentioned it had discharged 4 sufferers and was treating three pediatric sufferers. It didn’t share the statuses of the sufferers it was nonetheless treating as of Wednesday night time. M Well being Fairview Masonic Youngsters’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.
Who was the shooter at Annunciation Catholic Church?
Three legislation enforcement sources instructed 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 at the back of the church.
The shooter just lately purchased the three weapons legally and doesn’t have any identified legal historical past, in line with O’Hara. O’Hara instructed 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 carried out surveillance there, in line with a Minnesota official and a federal legislation enforcement supply with data of the investigation.
O’Hara mentioned police are executing search warrants at three residences linked to the shooter. “Extra firearms” have been recovered in the course of the searches, he mentioned. O’Hara instructed 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 instructed 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.
“This particular person had an entire large number of hate to numerous people and teams,” O’Hara instructed CBS Information.
Investigators mentioned they’re conscious of a video Westman had scheduled to submit 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, in line with CBS Information’ Confirmed crew. Westman’s mom labored as a parish secretary on the church, in line with its web site, and as an administrative assistant on the college, in line with a publication. She retired from the church in 2021, in line with a Fb submit 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 on social media Wednesday.
In an X submit on Thursday, Patel mentioned the shooter left “a number of anti-Catholic, anti-religious references,” expressed “hatred and violence towards Jewish individuals” and “wrote an specific name for violence in opposition to President Trump on a firearm journal.”
Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune through Getty Pictures 
Officers react to church taking pictures
President Trump mentioned on Reality 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 a 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 have 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 children have been actually praying,” Frey mentioned. “It was the primary week of faculty, they have been in a church. These have been children that ought to be studying with their buddies. 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 type of assurance.”
contributed to this report.
