A shooting at a school in Minneapolis that left two children dead and 17 others injured is being investigated as an anti-Catholic hate crime, the FBI says.
The FBI is investigating this shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics, FBI Director Kash Patel stated.
The two children, aged eight and 10, were killed when an attacker opened fire through the windows of the city's Annunciation Church on Wednesday morning as children were celebrating Mass.
The attacker, who died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was later identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman.
Authorities have not yet released a motive for the attack. A steady stream of mourners arrived at the scene Wednesday night, leaving flowers and expressing shock and anger that such violence occurred during a church Mass.
Police Chief Brian O'Hara condemned the incident as a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and worshippers, labeling the attack's cruelty as incomprehensible.
The shooter used three firearms—a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol—and approached the church, which also had a school, firing dozens of shots. A smoke bomb was also found at the scene. Investigators are trying to determine whether all shots were fired from outside the church.
Witnesses described the scene, including one boy who said his friend saved him by lying on top of him during the shooting. The community is still grappling with the aftermath of this tragic event, calling it an all-too-common occurrence across the nation.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz noted that President Donald Trump and his team expressed their condolences, with plans to fly the U.S. flag at half-mast at the White House as a sign of respect for the victims.
The FBI is investigating this shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics, FBI Director Kash Patel stated.
The two children, aged eight and 10, were killed when an attacker opened fire through the windows of the city's Annunciation Church on Wednesday morning as children were celebrating Mass.
The attacker, who died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was later identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman.
Authorities have not yet released a motive for the attack. A steady stream of mourners arrived at the scene Wednesday night, leaving flowers and expressing shock and anger that such violence occurred during a church Mass.
Police Chief Brian O'Hara condemned the incident as a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and worshippers, labeling the attack's cruelty as incomprehensible.
The shooter used three firearms—a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol—and approached the church, which also had a school, firing dozens of shots. A smoke bomb was also found at the scene. Investigators are trying to determine whether all shots were fired from outside the church.
Witnesses described the scene, including one boy who said his friend saved him by lying on top of him during the shooting. The community is still grappling with the aftermath of this tragic event, calling it an all-too-common occurrence across the nation.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz noted that President Donald Trump and his team expressed their condolences, with plans to fly the U.S. flag at half-mast at the White House as a sign of respect for the victims.
