A gunman opened fire Wednesday morning at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis during church mass.
Police confirmed he used a rifle, shotgun, and pistol while shooting through church windows.
Authorities reported at least two children dead and 17 others injured in the attack.
The victims killed were aged eight and ten, according to police chief Brian O’Hara.
The shooter eventually turned the gun on himself and died at the scene.
Officials have not yet identified a motive for the tragedy.
Officials Condemn the Attack and Support Families
Police chief Brian O’Hara denounced the “cruelty and cowardice” of the attack during a press conference.
Governor Tim Walz called the shooting “horrific” and prayed for students and teachers facing trauma.
Children’s Minnesota hospital said it admitted five children for treatment after the violence.
Hennepin Healthcare confirmed it treated more patients injured during the school shooting.
President Donald Trump said he was briefed and promised the White House would continue monitoring the tragedy.
Emergency crews, federal agents, and ambulances rushed to the school to secure the scene.
Families Reunited as Community Faces Wider Violence
Authorities evacuated the school and directed families to a designated reunification zone.
The school, founded in 1923, had just begun its first day of the term with morning mass.
Recent social media posts showed students smiling at back-to-school celebrations and summer activities.
The attack marked the latest in a string of shootings in Minneapolis within 24 hours.
One person died and six were wounded in gunfire outside a high school Tuesday afternoon.
Hours later, two other shootings claimed two more lives across the city.
The school shooting also followed hoax calls targeting U.S. college campuses with fake threats of shootings.
Universities issued “run, hide, fight” warnings after the false alarms frightened students nationwide.
