In brief
A mass shooting at a church in Minneapolis left two children dead and 17 injured during a mass event, prompting investigations into its classification as an anti-Catholic hate crime. Witnesses described harrowing scenes of chaos and bravery, particularly a ten-year-old boy who was protected by a friend during the attack. The shooter, identified as Robin Westman, took his own life after the shooting. Authorities are still investigating the incident and the motive behind it.
Witnesses to a mass shooting in the US state of Minneapolis have described the terrifying scenes after an attacker opened fire on a church where children were celebrating Mass on Wednesday morning.
One young boy described being protected by a friend who got hit himself.
Two children were killed and 17 others injured in an incident that the FBI is treating as an anti-Catholic hate crime.
The attacker, named as 23-year-old Robin Westman, died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities have yet to disclose a suspected motive.
Westman was a former pupil of the school adjacent to the church, and reports indicate that his mother had previously worked at the establishment.
The young survivor, 10-year-old Weston Halsne, explained to CBS affiliate station WCCO that his friend saved him from bullets by lying on top of him. I was like two seats away from the stained glass window, he recalled. My friend, Victor, saved me though, because he laid on top of me, but he got hit. Weston said he was scared for his friend but was relieved to hear he is expected to recover.
Weston mentioned that he and his classmates were well-drilled in handling shooting situations, but not in a church setting. We practise it every month, but not in church, only in the school, he said.
The incident shocked the local community as witnesses recounted confusion and fear when they first heard the shots, with many initially mistaking the sounds for construction work. Residents witnessed horrifying scenes of children fleeing the church, some covered in blood.
Hundreds attended a vigil for the victims later that evening, expressing mixed feelings of relief and sorrow, with local leaders and community members stressing that such violence is not just a local issue but part of a broader national crisis.
Officials are continuing their investigation, focusing on the circumstances surrounding the shooting and the shooter’s history. A manifesto believed to be linked to the attack has been retrieved by law enforcement.
In response to the shooting, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, alongside President Donald Trump, expressed condolences and pledged support to the victims' families.
