A heavily armed assailant fired through the windows of a Catholic church in Minneapolis where students were celebrating their first Mass of the new school year Wednesday, killing an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old in the pews and injuring 17 others, the police said.

Children and staff members ducked for cover under the pews just as Mass was beginning at about 8:30 a.m. Central time at the Annunciation Catholic Church, which has a school for children from prekindergarten through eighth grade. Monday was the first day of school, and the all-school Mass on Wednesday was an annual tradition.

Of the 17 people injured, 14 were children ranging in age from 6 to 15, the Minneapolis police chief, Brian O’Hara, said at a news conference. Three were parishioners in their 80s, he said. All were expected to survive, he said.

The attacker, who was armed with a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, O’Hara said. He identified the assailant as Robin Westman, 23.

Investigators believe the attacker was a former student at the school, according to a law enforcement official with knowledge of the investigation. The suspect’s mother is a retired school employee, the official said.

O’Hara said investigators were examining the shooter’s YouTube account, which had been taken offline with the help of the FBI.

The suspect’s social media accounts contain videos of diary entries that describe the killing of children and a drawing of the Annunciation Church’s sanctuary. The videos also show weapons, bullets and what appear to be explosive devices scrawled with violent language.

“We don’t have a motive at this time,” O’Hara said Wednesday afternoon.

The guns used in the attack had been lawfully purchased, he said. At least two doors of the church had been barricaded from the outside, he said.

Ellie Mertens, 25, a youth minister at the church, said she was sitting with children in the pews when bullets started ripping through the windows. The shooting lasted for about 2 minutes, she said.

“I was just feet away from this window where it was,” Mertens said in an interview. “The pew saved my life.”

Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis said at a news conference that “you cannot put into words the gravity, tragedy or absolute pain of the situation.”

Frey, a vocal advocate for stricter gun laws, added: “Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying.”

Inside the Hennepin County Medical Center emergency room, where multiple victims were taken, Za’khia Jones, 29, was with her fiancée when she saw children who appeared to be bloody being rushed in. “One kid came in and they had rushed her into a room and she was just screaming she didn’t want to die,” Jones said in an interview.

The attack was the fourth deadly shooting in the city in just over 24 hours. And the Twin Cities area was rattled in June when a gunman assassinated a state lawmaker and her husband and left another lawmaker and his wife hospitalized with gunshot wounds, setting off a two-day search.

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Gov. Tim Walz expressed support for the school community in a statement.

“I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence,” Walz said.

President Donald Trump spoke with Walz by phone, a White House official said. Trump also commented on the shooting on social media.

“I have been fully briefed on the tragic shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota,” Trump wrote. “The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene. The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!”

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.

By ISABELLA VOLMERT, Associated Press

Indiana’s Republican legislative leaders met privately with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office to discuss redistricting, an Indiana House spokesperson confirmed, although it remains unclear if they’ll join other states in trying to change congressional maps mid-cycle ahead of next year’s midterms.

Many Indiana lawmakers have expressed hesitation to Trump’s push to give his party an advantage in the 2026 race for control of the U.S. House of Representatives. Vice President JD Vance also spoke about the subject to numerous Indiana lawmakers, who were in Washington D.C. to meet with administration officials.

Several Indiana legislators came out in support of a mid-cycle map change following the meetings, which were held as pressure mounts nationwide now that California Democrats enabled voters to decide whether to counter Republicans in Texas, whose redrawn map now awaits the governor’s signature.

“I spent the day at the White House because Hoosiers deserve to be fairly represented in DC,” Indiana Sen. Liz Brown posted on social media. “President Trump knows what’s at stake if liberal strongholds like CA bend, break and bust the rules to gerrymander their maps.”

Members of the Indiana state legislation exit the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on the White House complex Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

Spokespeople for the offices of Indiana House Speaker Todd Huston and Senate President Pro Tem Rodric Bray provided no details on the Tuesday meeting with Trump.

The lawmakers were in Washington for White House State Leadership Conference meetings between the administration and state GOP leaders. The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

“While redistricting did come up and members were able to ask questions, we spent the bulk of our afternoon discussing issues like energy, immigration and preventing waste and fraud in government,” Bray’s official statement about the conference said. Bray did not comment on the meeting with Trump.

Typically, states redraw boundaries of congressional districts every 10 years to adjust to population changes. Instead, Trump encouraged Texas Republicans to change them to send five more Republicans to Congress.

Vice President JD Vance walks to the West Wing of the White House, Tuesday, Aug. 26, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

In response, California will hold a special election in November so voters can decide whether to counter the Texas advantage with a map that could help Democrats win more seats. Lawmakers in other states also are mulling the possibility.

Vance already met privately with Gov. Mike Braun and legislative leaders in Indianapolis on Aug. 7 to discuss redistricting. Braun, a staunch Trump ally, can call a special session, but suggested Indiana’s next move would depend on lawmakers’ appetites.

Republican state Rep. Craig Haggard said in an interview after the White House meeting that Vance’s argument wasn’t “strong-armed” and there’s still no broad consensus.

“I don’t think we’ll really know until we get into a session and see some actual maps,” Haggard said.

Haggard said that in a “perfect world,” Indiana’s maps would stay as they are, but he believes the Republican party needs to maintain House control to continue its platform.

“I think we’re going the right direction in this country,” said Haggard, who is challenging a longtime GOP congressman in western Indiana. “I agree with the vice president that we should use all legal and constitutional methods given us to make sure we win.”

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Other Indiana Republicans have expressed opposition, saying mid-cycle redistricting is costly and could backfire politically.

“We are being asked to create a new culture in which it would be normal for a political party to select new voters, not once a decade — but any time it fears the consequences of an approaching election,” state Sen. Spencer Deery said in a statement Aug. 13.

Republicans hold a supermajority in both chambers in Indiana, meaning Democrats could not stop or delay a special session by refusing to attend, like their peers in Texas did. Republicans also outnumber Democrats in Indiana’s congressional delegation 7-2. Some Republicans see an opportunity to gain all nine seats in the state, which Trump won by 19 percentage points in 2024.

The GOP would likely target Indiana’s 1st Congressional District, a Democratic stronghold encompassing Gary and other cities near Chicago. Three-term Democratic Rep. Frank Mrvan won reelection in 2022 and easily retained the seat in 2024 even after Republicans redrew the district to be slightly more favorable to the GOP.

Republicans could also zero in on the 7th Congressional District, composed entirely of Marion County and the Democratic stronghold of Indianapolis, but they would invite more controversy by slicing up Indiana’s largest city and diluting Black voters’ influence.

In the wake of a shooting that took the lives of two children and injured 20 others at a Catholic school in south Minneapolis on Wednesday, local and national figures have offered their sympathies and called for gun control.

President Donald Trump ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff at the White House, military bases and other public properties in respect “for the victims of the senseless acts of violence.”

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz has also issued a half-staff order for state buildings.

“Minnesota is heartbroken by the senseless shooting that took place this morning,” Walz said in a statement. “I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence. To the officers and first responders, the clergy and teachers providing comfort, and the hospital staff saving lives – thank you. We will get through this together.”

Here’s how local and national leaders and representatives are reacting to the Minneapolis shootings:

U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar

“I am heartbroken by the horrific violence at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis this morning. My prayers are with the students, teachers, and families, and I am grateful for the first responders who are on the scene.”

U.S. Sen. Tina Smith

“I’m continuing to monitor the horrific shooting at Annunciation Catholic School and I’m in close touch with local officials. Incredibly grateful for the work of the police and first responders in containing the shooter and attending to victims. This is the most horrific nightmare imaginable for the parents who dropped their children off at the first week back to school. My heart is breaking for my beloved Minneapolis

U.S. Rep. Betty McCollum

“My heart goes out to our neighbors in Minneapolis impacted by the horrific violence at Annunciation Catholic School this morning. I’m grateful for the swift response by first responders. All Minnesotans join as one in supporting the children, teachers, and their families,” she said in a post on X, later adding: “It’s devastating to learn that innocent children were fired on as they sat in pews during mass. My heart breaks for the two children who were killed and for the 17 other victims injured. These children, teachers, and their families need our prayers and our full support.”

U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar

“I am beyond heartbroken over the tragic news of the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis,” Omar said in an X post. I am praying for all the families impacted by this horrific tragedy. I will continue to closely monitor the situation and provide updates.

U.S. Rep. Angie Craig

“Cheryl and I are deeply shocked and saddened to hear of a shooting this morning in South Minneapolis. We are grateful to the first responders on the scene, and praying for the kids, families and teachers affected by this horrific act of violence. I am in touch with state and local officials and will be closely monitoring the situation.”

U.S. Rep. Tom Emmer

In an X post: “We are tracking the reports about a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. Our prayers are with the victims, their families, and first responders on the scene.”

U.S. Rep. Pete Stauber

“I am heartbroken by the horrific news coming out of Minneapolis this morning,” the representative said in a post to X. ”I am praying for the kids, parents, and teachers at Annunciation Catholic School, and for the first responders on the scene.”

Minneapolis state Senate delegation

“We condemn this violence in the strongest terms. We stand with all those grieving, especially the families of the 8- and 10-year-old who lost their life on today and the over 17 people that are injured and recommit ourselves to solutions to address the epidemic of gun violence and keep our children and communities safe.”

Minnesota DFL

“This epidemic must stop. No child should have to fear being at school, and no parent should have to worry about their child’s safety in the classroom. All options must be on the table to end gun violence in our communities. Minnesotan families deserve to be safe in every aspect of life, and we will continue fighting for common-sense solutions that protect our children and prevent future tragedies.”

Senate Minority Leader Mark Johnson, R-East Grand Forks

“My heart is breaking at the news this morning, and my prayers are with everyone who is affected. There is no place for this kind of violence, and attacks on a sacred place and children are especially egregious. As a state we stand together against these violent acts and the wicked individuals who perpetrate them.”

Minnesota GOP

In a statement on X: “Our hearts are broken for the children, teachers, staff, and faith community members & 1st Responders who have been traumatized or devastatingly harmed by today’s events. There are NO words that can fully capture the depth of sorrow.”

Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis

“I am so grateful for the many promises of prayers that have been coming in from the Holy Father, Pope Leo, and from so many from all around the globe, all praying for the families of Annunciation Parish and School and for all who were impacted by this morning’s senseless violence.

I beg for the continued prayers of all of the priests and faithful of this Archdiocese, as well for the prayers of all men and women of good will, that the healing that only God can bring will be poured out on all those who were present at this morning’s Mass and particularly for the affected families who are only now beginning to comprehend the trauma they sustained. We lift up the souls of those who lost their lives to our loving God through the intercession of Our Lady, Queen of Peace.

My heart is broken as I think about students, teachers, clergy and parishioners and the horror they witnessed in a Church, a place where we should feel safe.”

Minnesota Department of Education

“The Minnesota Department of Education is deeply saddened by the tragic shooting at Annunciation Church and School. Our thoughts are with the students, families, and educators affected by this senseless violence.

Schools should be safe places for all to learn, teach, and grow. Violence of any kind has no place in our communities, much less in our schools.

We are closely monitoring the situation and stand ready to support Annunciation and the broader community as they respond to this tragedy.”

Jewish Community Relations Council

“Grief and sorrow have descended upon our hearts after the horrific mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. We pray for the victims and their families and send loving care to all the first responders and to our dear friends in Minnesota’s Catholic community,” read a statement from the JCRC. 

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A prayer service and a candlelight vigil are planned tonight for the victims of a shooting Wednesday morning during Mass at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis.

The prayer service will be 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Academy of Holy Angels, 6600 Nicollet Ave., Richfield, according to a statement from Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis.

“My heart is broken as I think about students, teachers, clergy and parishioners and the horror they witnessed in a church, a place where we should feel safe,” Hebda said in the statement. “Our community is rightfully outraged at such horrific acts of violence perpetrated against the vulnerable and innocent. They are far too commonplace.”

Hebda said archdiocesan staff are helping provide support and resources to local parish and school teams.

The candlelight vigil will be held 8-9 p.m. Wednesday at Lynnhurst Park, 1345 W. Minnehaha Parkway, about a mile northwest of Annunciation school.

Vigil organizers Protect Minnesota and Moms Demand Action ask participants to bring their own candles and walk or bike if possible to save parking for those who need it.

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