Two children were killed and 18 other people were injured when the shooter opened fire at Annunciation Catholic Church during a Mass.
More details are emerging after a shooter opened fire at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis during a Mass attended by young students, killing two children and wounding more than a dozen other people. The shooter died by suicide at the church, which is attached to a school building.
Eighteen other children and adults were injured in Wednesday’s shooting, which occurred during a Mass marking the beginning of the school year.
Here’s what we know about the shooting. What happened at Annunciation Catholic Church?
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said in a Thursday news conference that the department received calls of shots fired at 8:27 a.m. Wednesday. A police officer arrived at the scene at 8:31 a.m. and was directed to the shooter’s location by a parishioner, O’Hara said.
O’Hara said the shooter fired a rifle through church windows and was also armed with a shotgun and a pistol. The shooting occurred at the beginning of the Mass, O’Hara said. Three shotgun shells and 116 rifle rounds have been recovered, as well as one live round from the shooter’s handgun that malfunctioned and became stuck in the weapon’s chamber, O’Hara said Thursday.
A government official briefed on the investigation and a law enforcement source told CBS News that the shooter was wearing all black clothing.
The two young victims were killed while they sat in the pews, police said. Their families have identified them as 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski.
Eighteen others, including 15 children between the ages of 6 and 15, were injured, O’Hara said. The number of injured rose from 17 to 18 on Thursday when officials said another injured child, who was transported to an area hospital by a private vehicle, had been identified. The three injured adults were all parishioners in their 80s, O’Hara said on Wednesday afternoon.
Police immediately entered the church and attempted to provide first aid, O’Hara said. The injured were rushed to area hospitals.
Hennepin County Medical Center received 10 patients and said one adult and five children were in critical condition. One adult and three children were being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. Children’s Minnesota said Thursday that it had discharged six patients and was treating one child. It did not share the statuses of the patients it was still treating. M Health Fairview Masonic Children’s Hospital said it had one pediatric patient in stable condition.
All of the injured children are expected to survive, O’Hara said Wednesday afternoon. Families of Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski issue statements
The families of the two children who were killed — 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski — spoke out for the first time on Thursday, each issuing statements and asking the public to respect their privacy.
