Minneapolis Church Shooting: Tragedy Strikes Annunciation Catholic School During Morning Mass
The inscription above the Church of Annunciation in South Minneapolis reads, “The House of God and the gate of Heaven.” But on Wednesday morning, that promise of peace was shattered when a gunman opened fire through the church’s stained-glass windows during a school Mass, turning a sanctuary of worship into a scene of horror and heartbreak.
Among the terrified witnesses was 10-year-old Weston Halsne, who sat just two seats away from where the bullets tore through.
“It was right beside me … I think I got gunpowder on my neck,” Weston recalled. “The first shot, I didn’t know what it was. But when I heard it again, I ran under the pew.”
The young fifth grader said his friend shielded him with his own body.
“He saved me. He laid on top of me but got hit in the back. He’s so brave, and I just hope he’s okay in the hospital.”
Police confirmed that two children were killed and at least 17 others were injured, including 14 kids and three elderly parishioners in their 80s. The shooter later died from a self-inflicted wound.
Witnesses Describe the Chaos
Patrick Scallen, a lifelong member of the parish who lives just a block away, sprinted to the church when he heard the gunfire. He described the scene as “eerily quiet” at first—until terrified students and parents began flooding out.
He recalled finding three injured children immediately:
“One girl had been grazed on the forehead. Another was shot in the neck. One of them asked me, ‘Can you just please hold my hand?’”
Scallen comforted them until paramedics arrived, telling the kids their parents were on the way. But their frightened questions—“Why did this happen? How could this happen?”—had no answers.
The Suspect: A Former Student
Authorities identified the gunman as 23-year-old Robin Westman, a 2017 graduate of Annunciation Catholic grade school. According to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, Westman arrived armed with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol, firing through the church windows directly at the children seated in the pews.
Many of the church doors had been barricaded from the outside with wooden planks, suggesting the act was carefully planned.
“The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is beyond comprehension,” O’Hara said.
Two children, just 8 and 10 years old, were killed where they sat.
Community in Mourning
Tears filled the streets as frantic parents rushed to reunite with their children at a nearby site. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, visibly shaken, clasped his hands on the church steps after rushing into the sanctuary.
“It was the first week of school. These kids should be playing, learning, laughing with their friends. They should be able to go to school or church in peace, without fear of violence.”
The school had begun the year with the hopeful theme: “A future filled with hope.” But Principal Matthew DeBoer admitted that Wednesday offered none.
“We must ensure no child, no parent, no teacher ever lives through this again. There’s a proverb: ‘When you pray, move your feet.’ Please—pray, but act too.”
Calls for Action Beyond Thoughts and Prayers
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz echoed the plea, urging America to move past empty platitudes:
“Keep us in your thoughts and prayers—but also in your actions. Work with us so this never happens again.”
Father Brian Park reflected on the church’s stained-glass windows, once meant to symbolize light, hope, and faith. Instead, they now stand as silent witnesses to a tragedy that has become all too common in America.
As Mayor Frey reminded the nation with breaking emotion:
“Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers. These kids were literally praying when it happened.”