VIDEO: Gunman kills two children, injures 17 in Minneapolis church shooting

A church service meant to mark the start of a new school year turned into a scene of horror on Wednesday when a gunman opened fire on dozens of children and adults, killing two pupils and leaving 17 others wounded, authorities said.

The shooting erupted inside Annunciation Church in southern Minneapolis, where students from a nearby Catholic school were attending Mass. Police said the assailant, armed with multiple firearms, unleashed bullets on the congregation before taking his own life in the church parking lot.

"Two young children, ages eight and 10, were killed where they sat in the pews," Police Chief Brian O'Hara said during a press briefing, describing the attack as "a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshiping." He added that 14 children were among the 17 wounded, with two victims in critical condition.

Doctors at Hennepin County Medical Center reported treating nine children, ages six to 14, along with two adults. At least four of those injured required emergency surgery.

O'Hara said the shooter, a man in his early twenties, did not have a serious criminal background and appeared to have acted alone. Investigators are examining writings and other material he left behind to try to determine his motive.

The brutality of the attack left officials and residents shaken. "The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible," O'Hara said.

Minnesota’s governor expressed sorrow in a statement on X. "Minnesota is heartbroken," wrote Governor Tim Walz. "From the officers responding, to the clergy and teachers providing comfort, to the hospital staff saving lives, we will get through this together. Hug your kids close."

Outside the church, video captured frantic parents rushing to find their children, many still wearing green school uniforms as they fled the scene.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned the attack and urged leaders not to reduce the tragedy to empty gestures. "Don't just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school. They were in a church. These are kids that should be learning with their friends," Frey said. "They should be able to go to school or church in peace without the fear or risk of violence."

President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the incident, calling it a "tragic shooting." On his Truth Social platform, he wrote, "The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!" A White House official later confirmed that Trump had spoken directly with Governor Walz.

The tragedy comes just two months after the killing of a Minnesota lawmaker and her husband outside Minneapolis, an event that triggered a massive statewide manhunt. It also follows a wave of false reports of campus shooters that have rattled universities as students return from summer break.

The United States has already recorded more than 287 mass shootings this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. Last year alone, gun violence claimed at least 16,700 lives, excluding suicides.

School shootings remain one of the most painful symbols of the country’s gun crisis. Among the most infamous was the 2022 massacre in Uvalde, Texas, where an 18-year-old killed 19 students and two teachers.

For many in Minnesota, Wednesday’s bloodshed has reopened the country’s unresolved debate on firearms. As O’Hara put it, the attack was "a deliberate act of violence," one that leaves a community grieving, a state in shock, and a nation once again forced to confront its deadly cycle of gun violence.