LiveLaw enforcement officers outside Annunciation Church in Minneapolis on Wednesday. (Tim Evans/Reuters)At least two children, ages 8 and 10, were fatally shot in the pews of Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis after a shooter opened fire during Mass on Wednesday, police said.Nineteen people in total were shot when the shooter — who police said was armed with a rifle, a shotgun and pistol — fired into the church's windows, hitting children who were praying inside, authorities said Wednesday. Fourteen children, ages 6 to 15, and three parishioners in their 80s were wounded by gunfire while attending Mass.The shooter, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, officials added. Westman purchased the weapons used in Wednesday's shooting legally, authorities said.AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementOn Wednesday afternoon, police were executing four search warrants: one for the church where the shooting occurred and three for nearby residences related to the shooter. Police have found additional firearms at those residences, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said.The shooter created a manifesto with disturbing writings and timed it to appear Wednesday on YouTube, police said.Earlier Wednesday, O'Hara said this was a "deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshipping. The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is incomprehensible."Live36 updatesThu, August 28, 2025 at 12:04 AM GMT+1Andrew RomanoSpeaking earlier Wednesday to CBS affiliate WCCO in Minnesota, survivor Weston Halsne, 10, described how a friend saved him when shots suddenly rang out during Catholic Mass."It was, like, shots fired and then we kind of like got under pews," the fifth-grader recalled. "They shot through the stained glass windows I think, and it was really scary."Halsne said he was sitting two seats away from the windows and felt what he thought was gunpowder on his neck."My friend Victor ... saved me, though. Because he laid on top of me," Halsne said. "But he got hit.""I was super scared for him," Halsne added. "But I think now he's OK."Halsne told WCCO he wanted Victor to know that he was praying for him.Wed, August 27, 2025 at 10:57 PM GMT+1Andrew RomanoFour children injured in Wednesday's shooting have been discharged from Children’s Minnesota, according to a hospital statement. Three children are still being treated at the facility. Seven children in all had been admitted there, ages 9 to 16.Earlier, the chair of emergency medicine at Hennepin Healthcare, the state's largest trauma center, said that several "noncritical patients" had been sent to Children's Minnesota.Meanwhile, seven patients arrived at Hennepin in critical condition, and four "required the operating room," the chair said.There have been no additional fatalities reported at any area hospitals.Wed, August 27, 2025 at 10:49 PM GMT+1Katie MatherFormer Arizona Rep. Gabby Giffords said she was "heartbroken and furious over the shooting" in a post on X."Another community is now traumatized by a mass shooting," she said. "How many more children will have to live this nightmare before our elected leaders do something?"Giffords was shot in the head during a mass shooting in January 2011 while hosting a public meet-and-greet in Casas Adobes, Ariz. The gunman shot 19 people, killing six of them. She has since become a vocal advocate for combating gun violence in the U.S. and co-founded a nonprofit in 2013 with her husband, Arizona Sen. Mark Kelly, that fights for gun safety.Wed, August 27, 2025 at 10:32 PM GMT+1Katie MatherLaw enforcement vehicles sit parked outside a reported residence of a suspect following a mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School on August 27, 2025 in Richfield, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara confirmed the following details about the shooter during the Wednesday afternoon press conference:The shooter has been identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman.Westman had a rifle, shotgun and pistol, and all three had been "lawfully purchased" by the shooter.Westman has no prior criminal history.The shooter placed two-by-fours through the handles of two church exit doors and fired from the outside of the church.Westman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the rear end of the church.Police believe the shooter acted alone.AdvertisementAdvertisementWed, August 27, 2025 at 9:33 PM GMT+1Katie MatherMinneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said all remaining victims are expected to survive, even though they're experiencing a "range of injuries."“I believe all of them have their parents with them now, and they are all expected to survive,” O'Hara said at the press conference on Wednesday afternoon.Wed, August 27, 2025 at 9:28 PM GMT+1Andrew RomanoMinneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey speaks to the media following a mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School on Wednesday in Minneapolis. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)Acknowledging online speculation about the gender identity of Minneapolis shooter Robin Westman, Mayor Jacob Frey said Wednesday that "anybody who is using this as an opportunity to villainize our trans community — or any other community out there — has lost their sense of common humanity.""I have heard about a whole lot of hate that's being directed at our trans community," Frey said during a news conference with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and the Minneapolis Police Department. "We should not be operating out of a place of hate for anyone. We should be operating from a place of love for our kids. Kids died today. This needs to be about them."Earlier, FBI Director Kash Patel posted on X that "the shooter has been identified as Robin Westman, a male born as Robert Westman."The New York Post reported that "Westman applied to change his birth name from Robert to Robin in Dakota County when he was 17 years old, according to court documents. That name change was granted in January 2020."The petition said Westman “identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification,” the Post reported.Wed, August 27, 2025 at 9:22 PM GMT+1Katie MatherOutside the police perimeter following the mass shooting in Minneapolis. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)Matthew DeBoer, the principal of Annunciation Catholic School, remembered the students who died in the shooting this morning."We lost two angels today," he said. "We can't change the past, but we can do something about the future."He said the school had planned to revolve this school year around the theme "a future filled with hope.""There's nothing about today that can fill us with hope," he said.Wed, August 27, 2025 at 9:17 PM GMT+1Andrew RomanoAn officer with the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension arrives at a reported residence of a suspect following a mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School on August 27, 2025 in Richfield, Minnesota. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)At a news conference Wednesday, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara provided more details about the victims of the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting — and about the shooter.O'Hara said police had now identified 19 victims. Two children, ages 8 and 10, were pronounced dead on the scene. Another 14, ranging in age from six to 15, were injured. Three adult parishioners in their 80s were also injured by gunfire while attending mass.All families of the children have been notified, O'Hara said.O'Hara said the shooter, 23-year-old Robin Westman, had no prior criminal history. The weapons used in the attack — a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol — had been purchased legally by the shooter, who is believed to have acted alone.O'Hara told reporters that authorities are currently executing four search warrants: one for the church where the shooting occurred and three for "nearby" residences "related to the shooter." Police have found additional firearms at those residences.The shooter created a "manifesto" with "disturbing writings" and timed it to appear Wednesday on YouTube, police said. That video has since been removed, O'Hara said, and authorities are investigating it in order to help them determine "the full scope of what happened — and try to identify motive of why it happened.”AdvertisementAdvertisementWed, August 27, 2025 at 8:57 PM GMT+1Katie MatherAt a news conference on Wednesday afternoon, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said that students at Annunciation Catholic School were in the midst of their first week of the school year, and they were there to learn and share their joy and curiosity. Instead, he said, they "were met with evil and horror and death.""We often come to these, these unspeakable tragedies, and say there are no words for this," Walz said. "There shouldn’t be words for this because they shouldn’t happen."Wed, August 27, 2025 at 8:44 PM GMT+1Katie MatherThe U.S. flag is lowered to half-staff above the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on August 27, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz ordered that all U.S. and Minnesota flags at state buildings be flown at half-staff "immediately and continuing indefinitely" to honor the Annunciation Catholic church and school victims. He said private citizens and businesses are also encouraged to lower their flags."Minnesota is heartbroken," Walz said in an X post earlier this afternoon. "Hug your kids close."Wed, August 27, 2025 at 8:40 PM GMT+1Andrew RomanoFBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the Minneapolis shooter has been identified as Robin Westman. Patel said the bureau is investigating Wednesday's shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church as "an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics."Wed, August 27, 2025 at 8:22 PM GMT+1Katie MatherPope Leo XIV celebrates his weekly general audience in the Paul VI hall at the Vatican on Wednesday. (Riccardo De Luca/Anadolu via Getty Images)In a telegram sent to Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul-Minneapolis, Pope Leo XIV said he was "profoundly saddened" to hear about the "terrible tragedy" at the Annunciation Catholic Church.Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin said Leo, who is the first American pope in history, sends "his heartfelt condolences and the assurance of spiritual closeness to all those affected by this terrible tragedy, especially the families now grieving the loss of a child."Leo is praying for those who were injured and their families "at this extremely difficult time," Parolin said, adding he's also praying for medical teams, first responders, the school and the Catholic community.AdvertisementAdvertisementWed, August 27, 2025 at 8:06 PM GMT+1Katie MatherFormer President Barack Obama called Wednesday's shooting in Minneapolis "heartbreaking" in a post on X."We can't allow ourselves to become numb to mass shootings," he said. "Michelle and I are praying for the parents who have lost a child or will be sitting at their hospital bedside after yet another act of unspeakable, unnecessary violence."Wed, August 27, 2025 at 7:59 PM GMT+1Katie MatherAuthorities have identified the gunman as Robin Westman, multiple news outlets, including the Associated Press, NBC News and the Minnesota Star Tribune, reported Wednesday.Earlier Wednesday, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara described the gunman as someone in his early 20s who did not have an extensive known criminal history.Wed, August 27, 2025 at 7:23 PM GMT+1Katie MatherA US flag the White House flies at half-staff in Washington, DC on August 27, 2025. (Mandel NGAN/AFP/Getty Images)President Trump has ordered U.S. flags to be flown at half-staff until sunset on Sunday in honor of the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting victims."I hereby order that the flag of the United States shall be flown at half-staff at the White House and upon all public buildings and grounds, at all military posts and naval stations, and on all naval vessels of the Federal Government in the District of Columbia and throughout the United States and its Territories and possessions," the proclamation issued Wednesday states.Wed, August 27, 2025 at 6:32 PM GMT+1Katie MatherLaw enforcement officers stand at an entrance of Annunciation Church, which is also home to an elementary school, after a shooting took place in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S. August 27, 2025. (Tim Evans/Reuters)Some witnesses who live or work near the Annunciation Catholic Church said they felt "brokenhearted" and "shocked" once they realized what was happening this morning.Bill Bienemann, whose family has been members of the church since 2004, told the Minnesota Star Tribune he heard 30 to 50 rounds of semiautomatic rifle fire from his house two blocks away and was "shocked.""I said, 'There is no way that could be gunfire,' there was so much of it," he said. "It seemed like a rifle; it certainly didn't sound like a handgun. He must have reloaded several times, for sure."Mike Garrity, who lives across the street from the church, told NBC News he was walking home when he heard loud noises and assumed it was from a nearby construction site. But as he walked closer, he saw around a dozen crying children coming out of the church, with several of them covered in blood.Pamela Smith was on her way to a nursing home across the street when she saw law enforcement vehicles swarm the area. She told the Star Tribune she knows this event will torment these kids forever."I'm very brokenhearted," she said. "I'm so sick and tired of this."AdvertisementAdvertisementWed, August 27, 2025 at 6:03 PM GMT+1Katie MatherMinneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey speaks to the media. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)Less than an hour after speaking at the press conference, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey wrote on X that he felt there were "no words that can capture the horror and tragedy of the unspeakable act of evil at Annunciation Catholic Church.""Children have been killed, more are injured, our community is shaken," he said. "Right now, our entire city needs to wrap these families in love and support."Frey announced that a family assistance center would be set up soon to provide resources and care for anyone impacted by the shooting."Don't think about these children just as someone else's kids," he said. "Think of them as your own. This was their first week of school. They should be laughing and goofing off in the hallways right now. They should be learning and playing with their friends."Wed, August 27, 2025 at 5:43 PM GMT+1Yahoo News Photo Staff, Katie MatherAnnunciation students were reunited with their families after Wednesday morning's shooting.A mother hugs her son after the shooting in Minneapolis. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP)Parents hold on to their children as they leave the premises for home. (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP)Parents comfort one another as they wait outside the school. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP)Family members as they await news of their children's status. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP)Community members embrace, comfort one another after the shooting. (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP)Wed, August 27, 2025 at 5:23 PM GMT+1Andrew RomanoDr. Tom Wyatt, the chair of emergency medicine at Hennepin Healthcare, said that his hospital has treated 11 patients from Wednesday's shooting at Annunciation Catholic School — nine of whom are children ages 6 to 14.While seven patients arrived in critical condition and four "required the operating room," Wyatt said, there have been "no fatalities" so far at Hennepin, the state's largest trauma center.Some "noncritical patients" also went to Children's Minnesota Hospital in Minneapolis, according to Wyatt."We prepare and train for this," Wyatt said. But "these incidents are never easy."Wed, August 27, 2025 at 5:16 PM GMT+1Katie MatherLaw enforcement officers gather outside the Annunciation Church's school. (Bruce Kluckhohn/AP)Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara told the press that the shooter, who remains unnamed, was in his early 20s and armed with a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol.The gunman shot his rifle through the church windows toward the children sitting in the pews inside, before ultimately taking his own life behind the church, O'Hara said. Police believe all or most of the shooting was done from the outside since they did not find any casings inside the church. A smoke bomb was also found on the scene, but there were no explosives, authorities added.The police believe the gunman acted alone and are still working to determine a motive. O'Hara said the shooter did not have an extensive known criminal history.