A shooter killed at least two students and injured 17 others during a morning Mass at a Catholic school in southern Minneapolis. The suspect, 23-year-old Robin Westman, was identified as a suburban Minneapolis resident. Police said Westman barricaded the church door during the attack and then died by suicide by gunshot. The victims were 8 and 10 years old, with four remaining in critical condition. The remaining victims are expected to survive, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.
The suspect had a manifesto that was timed to go live on YouTube around the time of the attack, which has since been taken down and is being reviewed by investigators. The suspect also wrote incendiary messages on gun magazines, including one that read “Kill Donald Trump.” Images of the gun magazines appeared in the manifesto, which also included a lengthy written note.
Search warrants are being carried out at locations related to the Minneapolis school shooting, including the school itself and three residences tied to the shooter. A rifle, shotgun, and pistol were determined to have been used to perpetuate the attack, and all three were lawfully purchased by the suspect. Additional firearms are being recovered from the residences.
Police officials say they are still unsure of the motive behind the crime, which O’Hara called “incomprehensible.” The FBI is investigating the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics, however, Director Kash Patel said. Investigators say the suspect did not have a criminal history.
The school shooting occurred within 24 hours of another mass shooting in Minneapolis around 1:30 p.m. Tuesday. One person was killed and six more were injured when a gunman fired dozens of shots at a group of people on a sidewalk across from Cristo Rey Jesuit High School. The suspect, as of Wednesday afternoon, is still being sought by police. Two more people were killed in two separate shootings later in the day.
