Gunfire erupted Wednesday at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis during morning mass.
The shooter fired a rifle through church windows while also carrying a shotgun and pistol.
Police confirmed the attacker killed two students, aged eight and ten, and wounded 17 others.
Authorities reported the shooter then killed himself. Officials found no ongoing threat to residents.
Leaders Respond to Violence
Police chief Brian O’Hara condemned the shooting as “sheer cruelty and cowardice.”
Governor Tim Walz called the attack “horrific” and prayed for students and teachers.
Children’s Minnesota admitted five victims, and Hennepin Healthcare treated additional patients from the shooting.
President Donald Trump said he received briefings and that the White House would continue monitoring.
Families and School Evacuated
Authorities evacuated the school and guided families to a reunification zone nearby.
Annunciation Catholic School, founded in 1923, held its first-day-of-term mass when the shooting occurred.
Recent school posts showed children playing, sharing art projects, and enjoying ice pops.
Minneapolis Faces Escalating Violence
Tuesday saw one person killed and six wounded in a high school shooting in Minneapolis.
Hours later, two separate shootings in the city killed another two people.
Earlier this week, hoax shooting calls struck at least a dozen U.S. college campuses.
Universities sent “run, hide, fight” alerts after fake gunfire sounds frightened students nationwide.
