A normal school morning turned into a nightmare in Minneapolis. A gunman walked into the chapel at Annunciation Catholic School during morning Mass and opened fire. Two kids were killed. Seventeen others were injured.
The shooter, a 23-year-old former student, shot himself before police could arrest him. He acted alone. It all happened so fast. Kids were praying one minute and running for their lives the next.
The two children who died were just eight and ten years old. Fourteen of the injured are also students. Some are still in critical condition. First responders got there quickly, but the damage was already done. Parents waited for hours outside the school, not knowing if their kids were safe. Some got good news. Some didn’t.
The scene was heartbreaking — crying families, terrified students, and a school now marked by tragedy.
Shooter Had No Record, But Left a Trail Online
Police say the shooter used to go to the school. His family had worked with the church. They still don’t know exactly why he did it, but they’ve found signs this wasn’t random.
His social media shows videos of guns, violent drawings of the chapel, and hateful messages. Some of the guns had dark, handwritten slogans on them. It looked planned, not a snap decision.
There’s no criminal history, no record of violence — just a slow buildup of anger and isolation that went unnoticed. The FBI and other agencies are helping sort through his past. They’re talking to friends, checking messages, and trying to figure out how he got the weapons.
The hard part? The warning signs were there, just buried in a sea of content most people never see or take seriously — until it’s too late.
The same questions come up: Could this have been stopped? Why didn’t anyone say something? Why was it so easy for him to do this?
A City in Shock, a Community in Pain
Now the city is grieving. Outside the school, people have left flowers, stuffed animals, candles, and notes. Vigils popped up within hours. Priests and parents spoke quietly, some crying, some too numb to talk.
The school district has brought in counselors. A resource center has been set up for students and families. Security is tighter at schools across the city. Still, a lot of parents are scared. And a lot of kids don’t want to go back.
This wasn’t just a school shooting. It was a church shooting too — a place meant to feel safe, even sacred. That’s part of what’s hitting people so hard.
And as always, the bigger questions follow. Gun laws. Mental health. How kids like this slip through the cracks. The same debate that happens after every shooting is already back. Some blame policy. Some blame culture. Some just want to know when this ends.
There are no quick answers. But the pain is real, and it’s everywhere — in homes, in classrooms, in pews. Two kids are gone. Seventeen people were hurt. Dozens of others saw things they’ll never forget.
Minneapolis is trying to recover, but this won’t go away anytime soon. There’s fear. There’s anger. There’s grief. The chapel is quiet now, but its silence is heavy. What happened there will stick — with this community, with this city, and with every parent sending their kid to school, wondering if it’s safe.
