Washington, Aug 28: At least two children were killed in a shooting at a Catholic school in the United States on Wednesday. The incident took place at a school located in the southern part of Minneapolis, Minnesota. The BBC reported that more than 17 people were injured in the attack.

Local authorities stated that the attacker was also killed. The shooting occurred at the Annunciation Catholic Church, which is affiliated with the school. Police identified the gunman as 23-year-old Robin Westman, who had no prior criminal record.

The children who died in the shooting were aged eight and ten. It was reported that it was only their third day back at school.

“Our teams are trained to respond during crises and are fully prepared to care for the affected children. Currently, six children have been admitted to our hospital for care,” a local hospital said in a statement regarding the shooting. “We are unable to provide further information while respecting the privacy of our patients and their families.”

U.S. President Donald Trump wrote on social media that he had been fully briefed on the shooting.

He added that FBI officials took immediate action and were present at the scene.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said, “There are no words to describe this unimaginable act. Remember these children not as someone else’s, but as your own. Many children have lost their lives.”

Fourth shooting in Minneapolis in 24 hours

This was the fourth shooting in Minneapolis in less than 24 hours. Since Tuesday afternoon, three separate shootings had already occurred in the city. Around 1:30 p.m. on Tuesday, a shooting in the Phillips neighborhood left one person dead and six injured.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told local media about the incident of violence. By Tuesday afternoon, no one had been arrested in connection with this shooting. Later, around 8 p.m. Tuesday night, a second shooting occurred in the city, leaving one person dead and another injured.

According to the police, a third shooting took place around 2 a.m. Wednesday, resulting in another death. So far, there is no indication that these shootings are connected.

People’s News Monitoring Service