A gunman opened fire this Wednesday, August 27, with a rifle through the windows of a Catholic church, striking a group of children celebrating Mass during the first week of school. Two children, eight and 10 years of age, died, and 20 others, including 14 more children, were injured in an act of violence the police chief called “absolutely incomprehensible.” Four people are in critical condition, according to Catholic Arena.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the shooter, carrying a rifle, shotgun and a pistol, approached the side of the church and shot dozens of rounds through the windows and struck children sitting in the pews during Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School. Police said the gunman then shot and killed himself.
“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 absolutely incomprehensible,” said the police chief, who noted that a wooden plank was placed to barricade some of the side doors. Authorities found a smoke bomb but no explosives at the scene, O’Hara said. He said authorities believe he was in his early twenties, had no extensive criminal history, and acted alone.
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Bill Bienemann, who lives a couple of blocks away from where the shooting took place and has long attended Mass at Annunciation Church, told AP he heard dozens of shots, perhaps as many as 50, over as long as four minutes. “I was shocked. I said, ‘There’s no way that there could be gunfire. There was so much of it. It was sporadic.”
Bienemann’s daughter, Alexandra, said she attended the school from kindergarten to 8th grade, finishing in 2014. After she heard of the shooting, she said she was shaking and crying, and her boss told her to take the day off.
Another shooting, one dead, six injured, no arrests
Yesterday, August 26, one person was killed and six more were injured when a gunman sprayed dozens of rounds at a group standing on a sidewalk across from a high school in Minneapolis, according to USA Today. Three of the injured had critical, life-threatening injuries, Chief O’Hara said.
“This level of firepower unleashed in broad daylight is completely sickening and unacceptable,” said O’Hara, who on August 27 noted that the suspect of this mass shooting had not been identified, and no arrests have been made. However, the police chief said, “I feel confident that we will be able to identify this person.”
