Two children, aged 8 and 10, shot dead 'while praying' as gunman opens fire on US Catholic school
Two children aged 8 and 10 have been killed, and at least 20 are injured after a shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis.
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The shooter, who is also dead, stormed Annunciation Catholic Church at around 8:30am local time as children attended their first mass of the school year.
Minnesota state troopers, local police, FBI agents and paramedics are on the scene as the situation unfolds.
The shooter, a man in his 20s, fired "hundreds" of bullets through the windows of the church in the direction of the children.
He then took his own life at the rear of the church, according to police chief Brian O'Hara.
He added that 17 others were injured, and 14 of them were children. Two of the children are in a critical condition.
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Speaking in a press conference, the mayor of Minneapolis, Jacob Frey, described the shooting as "unspeakable."
"Children are dead, there are families that have a deceased child, you cannot put into words the gravity, the tragic or absolute pain of this situation," he said.
"These kids were literally praying, it was the first week of school.
"They were in a church, these are kids that should be learning with their friends."
Mr O'Hara called the incident an "unthinkable tragedy".
"He struck children and worshippers inside the building," he said.
"The shooter was armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol.
"This was a deliberate act of violence."
He confirmed the shooter and taken his own life and had "no serious history of criminal activity."
A Minnesota children's hospital has said it is treating six children injured in the shooting.
The hospital said in a statement: “Children’s Minnesota is aware of the recent tragic shooting in Minneapolis. Our teams are trained to respond in times of crisis, and are fully prepared to care for impacted children.
"Currently, five children are admitted to our hospital for care. We will not share more details to respect the privacy of our patients and families.”
Footage shows anxious parents gathered outside the church awaiting news about their children, who were inside the church when the shooting took place.
Some children have been seen leaving the church following the shocking attack, with parents rushing out of the campus after being reunited with their children.
Taking to TruthSocial, Donald Trump said he has been "fully briefed" on the "terrible situation" unfolding in Minneapolis.
"The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene," he wrote.
US Vice President JD Vance said: "We’re at the WH monitoring the situation in Minneapolis. Join all of us in praying for the victims!"
"The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!"
Witnesses reported a person dressed in all black, holding an assault rifle, was spotted on church grounds.
One witness who said he lives two blocks away from the church told local media there was 'so much' shooting.
"I said there's no way that could be gunfire because there's so much of it," he said.
"It was sporadic," he added, saying he thought the weapon was semi-automatic, like a rifle.
State Governor Tim Walz took to Twitter and wrote: "I’ve been briefed on a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School and will continue to provide updates as we get more information.
"The BCA and State Patrol are on scene. I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence."
Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey said: "I'm monitoring reports of horrific violence in South Minneapolis.
"I'm in touch with Chief O'Hara and our emergency response team has been activated. We will share more information as soon as we can. Please give our officers the space they need to respond to the situation."
Following the attack, the official City of Minneapolis on X confirmed the shooter had been neutralised, but a crime scene remains in place.
The shooting at the church marks the fourth deadly shooting in Minneapolis in less than 24 hours, according to NBC News.
"The level of gun violence across the city within the last day is deeply unsettling," the Minneapolis Police Department said.
"Across three separate multiple-victim shootings, eight people have been injured by gunfire and three have lost their lives."