All 14 injured kids expected to survive after shooting at Minneapolis Catholic school

A shooter opened fire on Wednesday (August 27, 2025) morning during Mass at a Minneapolis Catholic school, killing two children and injuring 17 other people before killing himself, officials said.

Police said 14 of the injured were children, ages 6 to 15, and they are all expected to survive. The three adults who were injured are parishioners in their 80s, officials said.

The shooting happened at Annunciation Catholic School, just days after the first day of school on Monday.

“It’s my strongest desire that no state, no community, no school ever experiences a day like this,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said.

Flags fly at half-staff as a sign of mourning at the White House after U.S. President Donald Trump ordered a nationwide tribute following a deadly shooting at Annunciation Church which is also home to an elementary school in Minneapolis, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 27, 2025.
| Photo Credit:
Reuters

The White House said in a social media post that Mr. Trump ordered flags at half-staff for all government buildings until sunset on Sunday (August 31, 2025) “as a mark of respect for the victims of the senseless acts of violence.”

Vincent Francoual, 57, said his 11-year-old daughter, Chloe, survived by running downstairs to hide in a room with a table pressed against the door.

But Mr. Francoual was still unsure of exactly how she escaped because was struggling to communicate clearly about the traumatic scene.

“She told us today that she thought she was going to die,” he said.

Mr. Francoual said his daughter feels guilty because at one point she left a classmate behind to keep running.

Other parents told Mr. Francoual that their children had to step over the bodies of the two who were killed.

“It’s too much to process,” Mr. Francoual said.

He said he knows the parents of one of the dead children because they went on a trip to the Dominican Republic with a large group of families from the school over spring break this year.

All injured children are expected to survive, police chief says. O’Hara said all of the victims are expected to survive, though they have a range of injuries.

O’Hara also said dozens of officers responded to the shooting and many of them — as well as the children and staff present in the church — are deeply traumatized by what they saw.

Authorities are aware of video the shooter posted online, O’Hara says. O’Hara said the content, which the shooter had timed for release on YouTube, has been taken down and is under active review.

The shooter lawfully purchased the firearms used in shooting, police chief says. O’Hara identified the shooter as 23-year-old Robin Westman, adding that Westman had no prior criminal history and law enforcement believes he acted alone.