Minneapolis: The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis is in mourning after a tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in southern Minneapolis on Wednesday morning claimed the lives of two children and left 17 others injured during a school Mass. Archbishop Bernard Hebda, visibly shaken by the attack, issued a heartfelt statement, calling it a wound not only to the Catholic community but to the entire city.
Archbishop Hebda described the tragedy as a violation of a sacred space. “My heart is broken as I think about students, teachers, clergy, and parishioners and the horror they witnessed in a church, a place where we should feel safe,” he said, just hours after police confirmed the fatalities. He expressed gratitude to Pope Leo XIV, who personally conveyed condolences, and to the global Catholic community for their prayers in solidarity with Minneapolis.
The Archbishop urged continued intercession for families grappling with the trauma. “I beg for the continued prayers of all priests and faithful of this archdiocese, as well as the prayers of all men and women of goodwill, that the healing that only God can bring will be poured out on all those who were present and for the affected families who are only now beginning to comprehend the trauma they sustained,” Hebda wrote. He commended the two young victims to God through the intercession of Our Lady, Queen of Peace, while calling for decisive action to end what he described as the “far too commonplace scourge of gun violence.”
The shooting came just a day after another violent episode near Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, which left one dead and six wounded. “Our community is rightfully outraged at such horrific acts of violence perpetrated against the vulnerable and innocent,” Hebda emphasized, urging both preventative measures and a deeper reliance on faith. “While we need to commit to working to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies, we also need to remind ourselves that we have a God of peace and of love, and it is his love that we will need most as we strive to embrace those who are hurting so deeply.”
Archdiocesan officials confirmed that pastoral teams are actively coordinating with Annunciation Parish and School to provide both spiritual and psychological support to survivors. A community prayer service will be held at 7 p.m. CT at the Academy of the Holy Angels in Richfield, offering a space for collective mourning and reflection.
Speaking at a press conference as church bells tolled in the background, Archbishop Hebda reminded the faithful of the Catholic tradition’s call to prayer. “A bell in the Catholic Church is always a call to prayer,” he said. “We have to recognize that it’s through prayer that we can indeed make a difference. That has to be the source of our hope.”
The investigation is being handled by the FBI, with Director Kash Patel confirming the incident is being treated as “an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.” Authorities have identified the shooter as Robin Westman, a trans-identifying male born as Robert Westman.
President Donald Trump has ordered all U.S. flags at federal buildings, embassies, and consular facilities to be flown at half-mast until August 31 as a mark of respect for the victims of the deadly attack.