Authorities in Minneapolis are still investigating the motive behind the horrifying shooting at the church next to Annunciation Catholic School on Wednesday, which claimed the lives of two children.
The attack comes weeks after the Trump administration cut Homeland Security program funding aimed at preventing mass shootings, which experts say may have left threats like suspected shooter, 23-year-old Robin Westman, unnoticed.
Minnesota officials said Westman was fixated on the idea of killing children.
“I won’t dignify the shooter’s words by repeating them,” acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Joseph Thompson said at a briefing Thursday. “They are horrific and vile, but in short, the shooter wanted to watch children suffer.”
The shooter’s mother, Mary Grace, has retained criminal defense attorney Ryan Garry, known for working with NFL star Colin Kaepernick on representing the George Floyd protestors.
According to a warrant seen by Fox 9, Westman’s father told police the shooter recently “broke up with a significant and/or romantic partner” and had been staying with a friend.
The two children killed in the school shooting have been named by their families. The first was identified as 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, whose father gave an emotional statement to reporters on Thursday afternoon.
Shortly after, Harper Moyski was named in a statement shared on her parents’ behalf, which described the 10-year-old as “bright, joyful, and deeply loved.”
Key points
- Jen Psaki responds to MAGA’s ‘bad faith’ attacks over her saying ‘prayer is not freaking enough’
- Classmates say shooter gave Nazi salutes and idolized school shootings
- Shooter recently broke up with romantic partner, report
- Westman's mother retains attorney
- In numbers: The US just saw its 44th school shooting of 2025
Health statuses of shooting victims
21:25 , Erin Keller
At least seven people remained hospitalized Saturday after the Minneapolis church shooting, including five children and one adult at Hennepin County Medical Center and one patient at Children’s Minnesota, according to the Associated Press.
Four children were in satisfactory condition, one child in critical condition, and the adult in serious condition.
Handmade cards from classmates comfort a girl wounded in Minneapolis church shooting, aunt says
20:39 , Erin Keller
Genevieve Bisek, a sixth grader wounded in the Minneapolis church shooting, is finding comfort in dozens of handmade cards from her classmates.
"All of these handmade cards are just absolutely adorable and heartfelt," Genevieve's aunt, Wanda Stipek, told The Associated Press in a phone interview Saturday. "This is coming from other kids who also have their own trauma and yet are still reaching out and showing their love for her. She has these cards taped up on the walls in her room so that she can see this and be surrounded by that love."
The 11-year-old has been upgraded to satisfactory condition at Hennepin County Medical Center. She has not yet been informed that two of her classmates have died, including Fletcher Merkel, 8, who was her neighbor and friend of the family.
"Genevieve is a very sensitive and compassionate little girl," Stipek said. "When she did wake up from her sedation after the event, the first thing that she wanted to talk about, she asked about the other children."
Stipek said Genevieve told her mother, "I can't say that I wish this wouldn't have happened to me because I don't want it to have happened to anyone else either."
Wounded Minnesota boy to doctor: ‘Can you pray with me?’
19:49 , Erin Keller
Endre, a 13-year-old boy who was shot twice in Wednesday’s shooting and underwent emergency surgery, asked his doctor, “Can you say a prayer with me?” according to his aunt, Natalie Davis, in a GoFundMe post.
Davis shared a hopeful update on Saturday, revealing Endre is now recovering, and the surgeon told the family that Endre inspired the entire medical team.
An emotional looks at the shooting site
19:02 , Erin Keller
Tulsi Gabbard slams Jen Psaki as ‘agent of darkness’ over prayer remarks
17:57 , Erin Keller
Tulsi Gabbard slams Jen Psaki as ‘agent of darkness’ over prayer remarks
Shooting memorial site in photos
17:15 , Erin Keller
Shooter 'obsessed with the idea of killing children,' police say
16:29 , Erin Keller
Annunciation Catholic Church shooter Robin Westman did not seem to have any motive in mind when he opened fire, killing two kids and injuring 18 others, but was “obsessed with the idea of killing children,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said Thursday.
Westman "appeared to hate all of us,” the chief said on Thursday, adding, "More than anything, the shooter wanted to kill children.”
Minneapolis shooting reignites debate over gun control and prayer
15:50 , Erin Keller
Minneapolis shooting reignites debate over gun control and prayer
“Thoughts and prayers” aren’t cutting it, some say.
Trump administration cut mass shooter prevention funds weeks before Minneapolis church attack
15:00 , Erin Keller
A month before the Minneapolis church shooting, the Trump administration cut $18.5 million in funding from a Homeland Security program aimed at identifying and preventing potential mass shooters.
Officials dismissed the program as partisan and ineffective, but critics argue the cuts weakened efforts to detect warning signs of attackers like Robin Westman, who killed two children and injured 18 others before taking his own life.
Tulsi Gabbard calls Jen Psaki 'agent of darkness and hatred' for suggesting prayer alone won't solve gun crime epidemic
14:22 , Erin Keller
Director of National Intelligence and former U.S. Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard unleashed a sharp rebuke of MSNBC host and former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki, accusing her of harboring a “hatred of God” in the wake of the deadly Minneapolis Catholic school shooting.
On Friday, Gabbard took to X in response to Psaki’s viral post that read, “Prayer is not freaking enough,” arguing that offering “thoughts and prayers” after such tragedies fails to provide safety or justice.
"So why is it that people like Jen Psaki and others have such a spontaneous visceral negative reaction to those who are praying to God for refuge, strength, and for the wellbeing of the victims of this heinous attack? Because they do not believe in God or His love,” Gabbard wrote.
"Their response is rooted in their hatred of God," Gabbard added. "They want to be God, so they view Him as their competitor. They are agents of darkness and hatred, and the light of God’s love is a threat to their dark ambitions."
She further tied Psaki’s stance to broader cultural disagreements, denouncing “transgender rights ‘insanity and darkness” using Martin Luther King Jr.’s philosophy, “Darkness cannot drive out darkness, only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate, only love can do that.”
Who is Robin Westman? What we know about suspect in Minneapolis school shooting that left two children dead
14:00 , Tom Watling.jpeg?width=1200&height=800&crop=1200:800)
Who is Robin Westman? What we know about Minneapolis church shooting suspect
Nurse mom of Minnesota shooting victim was working in ICU when wounded daughter arrived
13:30 , Tom Watling
Nurse mom was at hospital as daughter and other Minnesota shooting victims arrived
Gun rights influencer responds after Minneapolis shooting suspect praised him in video
13:00 , Tom Watling
Gun rights influencer responds after Minneapolis shooting suspect praised him in clip
The US just saw its 44th school shooting this year. The disturbing data shows the true scale of the problem
12:16 , Tom Watling
US just saw its 44th school shooting in 2025: Data shows true scale of the problem
Second victim of Minnesota church shooting identified as ‘bright, joyful and deeply loved’ 10-year-old
11:40 , Tom Watling
Second victim of Minnesota church shooting identified as ‘bright, joyful’ 10-year-old
Classmates say Minnesota school shooter gave Nazi salutes and idolized school shootings back in middle school
11:13 , Tom Watling
Classmate says Minnesota school shooter gave Nazi salutes and loved school shootings
Robin Westman’s ex-classmate says there were ‘red flags’ in the shooter’s behavior
10:39 , Tom Watling
Robin Westman’s ex-classmate says there were ‘red flags’ in the shooter’s behavior
How to help the victims of the Minneapolis mass shooting
10:00 , Mike BediganSince Wednesday’s horrific events at Annunciation Catholic Church, people across the U.S. have stepped up with offers of help.
The City of Minneapolis established the Annunciation Response Fund, with the Minneapolis Foundation setting up a text-to-donate line.
Anyone wishing to donate to support the victims of the shooting can text “ACF1” to 41444.
The Minneapolis Foundation says it will work with Annunciation Catholic School to distribute those funds in the coming days and weeks.
The Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota has launched the Annunciation Hope and Healing Fund to support the church community.
GoFundMe has created a centralized hub of verified fundraisers. So far, eight fundraisers have been verified.
The Uvalde Foundation for Kids has launched a national initiative to provide financial support for the families of the two children who were killed at Annunciation to help with funeral arrangements, memorials and other expenses.
Finally, medical staff at hospitals who cared for the injured have underlined the need for blood donors as a substantial amount of the state’s supply was used in response to the attack.
With reporting from 5KSTP
Video: Who is Robin Westman?
09:30 , Mike BediganClassmates say Minnesota school shooter gave Nazi salutes and idolized school shootings back in middle school
09:00 , Mike BediganA former classmate of Minneapolis school shooter Robin Westman said the assailant idolized Adolf Hitler and obsessed over other mass killings even as far back as middle school.
Josefina Sanchez, who attended St. Agnes Catholic School with Westman in sixth and seventh grades, said there were “definitely red flags” with the shooter’s behavior.
Read more:
Classmate says Minnesota school shooter gave Nazi salutes and loved school shootings
The US just saw its 44th school shooting this year. The disturbing data shows the true scale of the problem
08:30 , Mike BediganA fatal attack at a school church in Minneapolis marked the forty-fourth school shooting in the United States this year, killing two young children and wounding more.
School shootings have been rising over the past decade, in particular since Covid, even as some states tighten their gun laws.
Alicja Hagopian examines the scope of the problem.
US just saw its 44th school shooting in 2025: Data shows true scale of the problem
Shooter recently broke up with romantic partner, report
08:00 , Mike BediganFox 9 reports that, according to a search warrant, the shooter who opened fire on a crowd of people and killed two children at a Minneapolis church and school had recently broken up with a romantic partner.
The warrant says that the shooter, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the church, had been driving a van registered to their father when the attack was carried out.
Beside the body, which was dressed in black “tactical gear,” were a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol.
Watch: Father of 8-year-old victim in Minneapolis shooting makes emotional statement
07:30 , Mike BediganQuestions on shooter's motive remain
06:30 , Mike BediganPolice have yet to establish a motive for Wednesday’s shooting, which claimed the lives of two young children.
Investigators are now analyzing a journal thought to have belonged to Westman containing writings in English and Cyrillic, expressing, among other things, a desire to gun down “a big assembly on the first day of school”.
Other entries in the notebook described feeling a sense of self-hatred and wanting to die, as well as being “morbidly obsessed” with past school shooters.
Though authorities previously described the writings as a “manifesto,” analysis by CNN revealed Westman had written that there was “no message.”
White House highlights arrest of DC teen when asked how they can reassure parents over school shootings
06:00 , Mike Bedigan'It's extremely surreal': Neighbors 'thunderstruck' by shooter's actions
05:30 , Mike BediganNeighbors of the Westmans said they were taken completely by surprise by what had unfolded on Wednesday, after cops searched the residence of the shooter in the Richmond suburb of Minneapolis, following the shooting.
“I would say I was thunderstruck,”Jim White, who lives across the street, told The Independent.
“We would always say hello to each other in passing and maybe chat a little bit. They actually gave me a bunch of landscaping rock to use in my yard, and so [they were] good neighbors and all the rest of that.
White added: “I'd see their kids coming and going pretty frequently, and the father would always be out working on cars or motorcycles and stuff with the kids, so this was not a family you would have thought this kind of thing would happen to.
“I never saw anything that would have suggested that anything like this would have even been possible... It is extremely surreal.”
Police have spoken to the shooter's mother. Who is she?
05:01 , Mike BediganPolice revealed Friday that “there has been a conversation" with the mother of Robin Westman.
Mary Grace Westman worked as a secretary at the Minneapolis school her child opened fire at for five years before her retirement in 2021, according to a Facebook post and a church blog. Her brother Robert Heleringer, a former Republican representative in the Kentucky General Assembly, described their family’s strictly Catholic upbringing in multiple op-eds published in the 2010s.
She has retained criminal defense attorney Ryan Garry following the attack. Garry is known for his work with NFL star Colin Kaepernick on representing the George Floyd protestors.
When asked on Fox News on Thursday why Mary Grace had retained an attorney, Garry said: "She is completely distraught about the situation and has no culpability but is seeking an attorney to deal with calls like this."
Watch: Mike Johnson says 'the human heart' and not guns are responsible for school shootings
04:30 , Mike BediganIn pictures: Tributes and memorials left outside Annunciation Catholic Church
03:54 , Mike Bedigan
Minnesota governor Tim Walz: 'It's time to take action'
03:26 , Mike BediganIt’s time to take serious action at the State Capitol to address gun violence.
— Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) August 29, 2025
Police have spoken with shooter's mother
02:51 , Oliver O'ConnellChristopher Gaiters, the police department's assistant chief of community trust, declined to share much on the investigation into the Annunciation shooting at Friday’s press conference.
However, he did say “there has been a conversation" with the shooter's mother.”
Gaiters also said that there will be extra patrols for schools and places of worship over the next several days.
These will be carried out by officers working overtime and with support from other agencies.
“We recognize that people want to be reassured that our community's going to be safe, that our children are going to be safe,” Gaiters said.
Mayor praises response by city staff
02:38 , Oliver O'ConnellDuring a news conference on Friday afternoon, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey praised city staff from multiple departments for their immediate and ongoing response to the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church.
Joining the mayor were representatives from the Office of Community Safety, the Emergency Management Department, and the police force.
“I'm proud of the performance of the last several days, and we also know that it's not over yet,” Frey said.
He added that years of preparation went into the response to Wednesday's shooting.
“Following the events of 2020, we as a city did not sit back on our hands,” he said. “We did everything possible to improve emergency management and crisis response.”
Public outrage and protests over the murder of George Floyd by the police in 2020 gave way to widespread civil disorder in the city over five days in late May 2020.
Part of the city’s reset of how it handles major incidents involved a trip to Maryland for several days of simulated crises, coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Frey said: “Those simulations, that collective work and the stick-to-it-ness that we showed in the years following helped to prepare us for emergencies of any kind.”
Classmates say Minnesota school shooter gave Nazi salutes and idolized school shootings
02:19 , Oliver O'ConnellA former classmate of Minneapolis school shooter Robin Westman said the assailant idolized Adolf Hitler and obsessed over other mass killings even as far back as middle school.
Josefina Sanchez, who attended St. Agnes Catholic School with Westman in sixth and seventh grades, said there were “definitely red flags” with the shooter’s behavior.
Speaking to KARE 11, Sanchez said Westman would be verbally abusive to other students in their middle school classes and perform Nazi salutes when teachers had their backs turned.
Mike Bedigan has the story.
Classmate says Minnesota school shooter gave Nazi salutes and loved school shootings
IN FOCUS: The US just saw its 44th school shooting this year. The disturbing data shows the true scale of the problem
01:50 , Oliver O'ConnellA fatal attack at a school church in Minneapolis marked the forty-fourth school shooting in the United States this year, killing two young children and wounding more.
School shootings have been rising over the past decade, in particular since Covid, even as some states tighten their gun laws.
Alicja Hagopian examines the scope of the problem.
US just saw its 44th school shooting in 2025: Data shows true scale of the problem
How to help the victims of the Minneapolis mass shooting
01:28 , Oliver O'ConnellSince Wednesday’s horrific events at Annunciation Catholic Church, people across the U.S. have stepped up with offers of help.
The City of Minneapolis established the Annunciation Response Fund, with the Minneapolis Foundation setting up a text-to-donate line.
Anyone wishing to donate to support the victims of the shooting can text “ACF1” to 41444.
The Minneapolis Foundation says it will work with Annunciation Catholic School to distribute those funds in the coming days and weeks.
The Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota has launched the Annunciation Hope and Healing Fund to support the church community.
GoFundMe has created a centralized hub of verified fundraisers. So far, eight fundraisers have been verified.
The Uvalde Foundation for Kids has launched a national initiative to provide financial support for the families of the two children who were killed at Annunciation to help with funeral arrangements, memorials and other expenses.
Finally, medical staff at hospitals who cared for the injured have underlined the need for blood donors as a substantial amount of the state’s supply was used in response to the attack.
With reporting from 5KSTP
Minneapolis mayor responds to criticism for demand for action after shooting
01:02 , Oliver O'ConnellMinneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has responded to criticism of his call for actions in addition to prayers in response to Wednesday’s mass shooting.
Frey was reacting to a post by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who wrote: “Those like @jenpsaki and @Jacob_Frey who criticize prayers in the wake of the Minneapolis tragedy are expressing the same anti-God sentiment that motivated the shooter— he aimed his wrath at God by trying to stop people with his bullets from praying to God. Now is a time for us to come together and join hands in prayer, for the children who were killed, their loved ones, and those who survived this horrific shooting.”
The mayor responded: “In Judaism, under תִּיקּוּן עוֹלָם ("Heal the World"), we are taught that prayer is necessary, but not sufficient. Elected leaders cannot use prayers alone to let ourselves off the hook for our own inaction.”
School shootings in the U.S. are met with calls for “thoughts and prayers” for the victims, followed by stunning inaction from lawmakers to address access to guns.
In Judaism, under תִּיקּוּן עוֹלָם ("Heal the World"), we are taught that prayer is necessary, but not sufficient. Elected leaders cannot use prayers alone to let ourselves off the hook for our own inaction. https://t.co/7DTNf7w8Zx
— Jacob Frey (@Jacob_Frey) August 29, 2025
Mayor Frey was joined by several Democratic lawmakers at City Hall on Thursday to call for state and federal bans on high-capacity magazines and assault weapons.
Ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines. Now. pic.twitter.com/OpXB1MSZIV
— Jacob Frey (@Jacob_Frey) August 28, 2025
Minnesota Senator Tina Smith has also expressed her support for such a move. She wrote on X: “What civilian on God’s green Earth needs a gun that fires 116 rounds that quickly.”
What civilian on God’s green Earth needs a gun that fires 116 rounds that quickly https://t.co/ao84kyT3js
— Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) August 28, 2025
Jen Psaki responds to MAGA’s ‘bad faith’ attacks over her saying ‘prayer is not freaking enough’
Saturday 30 August 2025 00:45 , Oliver O'ConnellMSNBC host Jen Psaki fired back at the White House and other conservative critics who have slammed her for saying “prayer is not freaking enough” in the wake of yet another mass shooting, calling the attacks “bad faith” and an effort to not address the issue of gun violence.
Justin Baragona has the story.
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Psaki reacts to MAGA’s ‘bad faith’ attacks over her ‘prayer’ remarks on MN shooting
9-year-old girl ran from church to school gym, despite injuries
Saturday 30 August 2025 00:28 , Oliver O'ConnellA second story has emerged of an injured victim from the Annunciation Church mass shooting being taken to a hospital where their mother works.
Vivian St. Clair, 9, was shot multiple times in her arm and back before being taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center.
According to a GoFundMe page set up to support the family:
Despite her injuries, Vivi ran from the church to the school gym, where a police officer scooped her up and rushed her to an ambulance. She was taken to HCMC, where her mom, Malia, works.
Doctors have shared that Vivi has several bullet fragments in her small body that they do not intend to remove, meaning she may carry them with her for life. She is receiving IV antibiotics and fluids, and through it all, she continues to smile and radiate sweetness. She’s been telling people how excited she is to swim at her Grandma’s pool in Arizona this evening with her dad, Joe—just showing how innocent and hopeful she remains.
Shooter recently broke up with romantic partner, report says
Saturday 30 August 2025 00:09 , Oliver O'ConnellFox 9 reports that, according to a search warrant, the shooter who opened fire on a crowd of people and killed two children at a Minneapolis church and school had recently broken up with a romantic partner.
The warrant says that the shooter, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the church, had been driving a van registered to their father when the attack was carried out.
Beside the body, which was dressed in black “tactical gear,” were a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol.
Per Fox 9:
During a search of the shooter’s father’s home, law enforcement recovered a Condor tactical vest with “various attachments not related to law enforcement/security,” two external media storage devices and miscellaneous documents.
The father told police the shooter recently “broke up with a significant and/or romantic partner” and had been staying with a friend.
The father also confirmed to police that the shooter attended Annunciation as a child and that the shooter’s mother, his former spouse, worked there in the past.
Father recounts moment shooter opened fire through church window
Friday 29 August 2025 23:52 , Oliver O'ConnellDevin O’Brien was in the church attending Mass on Wednesday morning with his three children. He spoke to NBC affiliate KARE11’s Lou Raguse about what he saw.
“I can't explain the relief I feel for the kids I see here today and the absolute heartbreak for the families that don't have a kid coming home to them,” said O'Brien.
As the first shot was fired, O'Brien saw a rifle barrel poke through a narrow, broken stained-glass window.
“I yelled out ‘shooter,’” he said.
What followed was 119 shots fired into the church. The shooter’s writings and YouTube videos show he had a specific intent to kill children.
“There was a break in the shooting, and I ran from pew to pew and was just checking on kids. And I saw their little faces looking up at me. And they were so scared,” O'Brien said.
He added that it wasn't just adults helping the kids.
“The reason why a lot of the older students were injured, shot, was they were on the ground protecting their younger buddies. And I saw so many brave kids in that church yesterday, injured kids who were still trying to help. They were looking after each other in what was the most terrifying moment one can imagine,” O'Brien said.
Authorities continue to investigate motive of 'hate-filled' suspect
Friday 29 August 2025 23:35 , Oliver O'ConnellActing U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said videos and writings the shooter left behind show that the suspect Robin Westman "expressed hate towards almost every group imaginable.
"Investigators recovered hundreds of pieces of evidence from the church and three residences, the police chief said.
They found more writings from the shooter, but no additional firearms or a clear motive for the attack on the church Westman once attended.
Westman had a "deranged fascination" with mass killings, O'Hara said.FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that the attack was an act of domestic terrorism motivated by hate-filled ideology, citing the shooter's statements against multiple religions and calls for violence against President Donald Trump.
Westman, who once attended the school and whose mother worked for the parish before retiring in 2021, left behind several videos and page upon page of writings describing a litany of grievances.
One read: “I know this is wrong, but I can't seem to stop myself.”
Long recovery ahead for boy injured in attack
Friday 29 August 2025 23:16 , Oliver O'ConnellA boy injured in the Annunciation Church mass shooting is expected to stay in the ICU for the next few days as part of a long recovery process.
Friends of the family of David Haeg are now asking for support as the medical expenses mount, so his parents can focus on being by their son’s side.
A post on the GoFundMe page reads:
David has already undergone surgery and will need to remain in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit for at least the next five days. His road to recovery will be long, but he is showing incredible strength and resilience.
In the midst of this unimaginable time, the last thing David’s family should have to worry about is mounting medical expenses. We are asking for your support to help cover these costs so his parents can focus fully on being by his side and helping him heal.
After church shooting, stories of bravery and heartache emerge
Friday 29 August 2025 23:00 , Oliver O'ConnellMoments after rifle blasts echoed inside a Minneapolis church, Catholic school children dressed in plaid jumpers and green polo shirts ducked into pews, with some jumping on top of friends to protect them from the violence.
One girl, Lydia Kaiser, was hit while shielding her “little buddy” as her father, the school’s gym teacher, helped guide children to safety and reunite them with their parents, according to a family friend organizing fundraising for the family.
A 13-year-old boy named Endre, who was shot twice and rushed into surgery, asked the doctor, “can you say a prayer with me?” his aunt said in a GoFundMe post. Endre’s aunt said he’s now recovering, and that the surgeon told the family Endre had inspired their medical team.
Doctors and first responders in Minneapolis this week called the students and teachers at Annunciation Catholic School heroes for protecting each other and for following their active shooter training as the barrage of gunfire erupted during the first Mass of the school year.
Some of the people who showed up to help didn’t know their children were among the injured.
A pediatric critical care nurse at Hennepin Healthcare arrived at work Wednesday morning to treat shooting victims. That was when she learned her 12-year-old daughter, Sophia Forchas, was among the injured, the family shared on a GoFundMe page.
The girl, whose younger brother was also at the school but was not wounded, underwent emergency surgery and was in critical condition, a hospital spokesperson confirmed Thursday.
“Her road ahead will be long, uncertain, and incredibly difficult — but she is strong, and she is not alone,” the fundraiser says.
Nurse mom of Minnesota shooting victim was working in ICU when wounded daughter arrived
Friday 29 August 2025 22:37 , Oliver O'ConnellThe mother of Sophia Forchas, one of the 15 children injured in Wednesday’s deadly shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school, is a nurse in the pediatric intensive care unit who was working at the hospital the morning when her daughter and others began arriving for emergency treatment.
Josh Marcus and Mike Bedigan report.
Nurse mom was at hospital as daughter and other Minnesota shooting victims arrived
Mayor hails citizen responders as 'very best of Minneapolis'
Friday 29 August 2025 22:19 , Oliver O'ConnellAt the press conference on Friday afternoon, Mayor Jacob Frey also praised everyday citizens for their vital role in the response to the shooting — notably the children and staff of Annunciation Catholic School.
“They saved lives. They jumped on the backs of their closest friends to make sure that they were protected from bullets, and they escorted students out of the way to make sure they weren't hit by fire,” he said.
“The staff of Annunciation, the families at Annunciation, they are heroes. They deserve our full support right now because they represent the very best of Minneapolis.”
He later added: "People have showed so much love to each other during the most tragic of situations.”
“We are a greater Minneapolis family. Annunciation is a huge part of that family. When tough times arise for families, those families stick together.”
Shooter never entered church, surveillance footage shows
Friday 29 August 2025 22:06 , Oliver O'ConnellWhen the attack occurred at approximately 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, the doors to the church where students had gathered for Mass were locked. It is believed that this saved lives.
Nevertheless, the shooter smashed a stained glass window and began firing into the church.
Minneapolis police Chief Brian O’Hara said on Thursday that surveillance video captured the attack during the first week of classes at the Annunciation Catholic School and showed the shooter never entered the church and could not see the children while firing.
After the attack, 116 rifle casings were found, and three shotgun shells.
The police chief said the first officer ran into the church four minutes after the initial 911 call and that more officers rendered first aid and rescued some of the children.
Police have spoken with shooter's mother
Friday 29 August 2025 21:57 , Oliver O'ConnellChristopher Gaiters, the police department's assistant chief of community trust, declined to share much on the investigation into the Annunciation shooting at Friday’s press conference.
However, he did say “there has been a conversation" with the shooter's mother.”
Gaiters also said that there will be extra patrols for schools and places of worship over the next several days.
These will be carried out by officers working overtime and with support from other agencies.
“We recognize that people want to be reassured that our community's going to be safe, that our children are going to be safe,” Gaiters said.
Mayor praises response by city staff
Friday 29 August 2025 21:50 , Oliver O'ConnellDuring a news conference on Friday afternoon, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey praised city staff from multiple departments for their immediate and ongoing response to the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church.
Joining the mayor were representatives from the Office of Community Safety, the Emergency Management Department, and the police force.
“I'm proud of the performance of the last several days, and we also know that it's not over yet,” Frey said.
He added that years of preparation went into the response to Wednesday's shooting.
“Following the events of 2020, we as a city did not sit back on our hands,” he said. “We did everything possible to improve emergency management and crisis response.”
Public outrage and protests over the murder of George Floyd by the police in 2020 gave way to widespread civil disorder in the city over five days in late May 2020.
Part of the city’s reset of how it handles major incidents involved a trip to Maryland for several days of simulated crises, coordinated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
Frey said: “Those simulations, that collective work and the stick-to-it-ness that we showed in the years following helped to prepare us for emergencies of any kind.”
Classmates say Minnesota school shooter gave Nazi salutes and idolized school shootings
Friday 29 August 2025 21:20 , Oliver O'ConnellA former classmate of Minneapolis school shooter Robin Westman said the assailant idolized Adolf Hitler and obsessed over other mass killings even as far back as middle school.
Josefina Sanchez, who attended St. Agnes Catholic School with Westman in sixth and seventh grades, said there were “definitely red flags” with the shooter’s behavior.
Speaking to KARE 11, Sanchez said Westman would be verbally abusive to other students in their middle school classes and perform Nazi salutes when teachers had their backs turned.
Mike Bedigan has the story.
Classmate says Minnesota school shooter gave Nazi salutes and loved school shootings
Neighbor watched cops take Minneapolis shooter’s family from their home as ‘surreal’ connection to killer set in
Friday 29 August 2025 21:00 , Oliver O'ConnellThe day after a mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic School that left two children dead and 18 people injured, including 15 other youngsters and three elderly parishioners, local residents continue trying to come to grips with the horrific event.
“I would say I was thunderstruck,” said Jim White, who lives across the street from 23-year-old shooter Robin Westman.
White, 57, told The Independent that he often crossed paths with the suspect’s dad and stepmom, and that the news of the horrific act caught him entirely by surprise.
Justin Rohrlich reports.
Neighbor saw cops surround Minneapolis shooter’s home as ‘surreal’ connection set in
Locked church doors saved countless lives, police say
Friday 29 August 2025 20:30 , Oliver O'ConnellPolice say locked church doors likely saved “countless lives” during the Minneapolis school shooting in which two children were killed and 17 others injured at Annunciation Catholic School.
The shooter, Robin Westman, 23, fired through church windows after failing to enter the building, leaving behind writings showing a “deranged fascination”, according to police chief Brian O’Hara.
The shooter had not been able to get inside due to the locked doors, Mr O’Hara said.
He said the shooter’s writings revealed hatred for “almost every group imaginable.”
Acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota, Joe Thompson, added that the attacker was “obsessed” with killing children.
“I won’t dignify the shooter’s words by repeating them,” he said. “They are horrific and vile, but in short, the shooter wanted to watch children suffer.”
IN FOCUS: The US just saw its 44th school shooting this year. The disturbing data shows the true scale of the problem
Friday 29 August 2025 20:00 , Oliver O'ConnellA fatal attack at a school church in Minneapolis marked the forty-fourth school shooting in the United States this year, killing two young children and wounding more.
School shootings have been rising over the past decade, in particular since Covid, even as some states tighten their gun laws.
Alicja Hagopian takes a look at the scale of the problem.
US just saw its 44th school shooting in 2025: Data shows true scale of the problem
'This has been a tough summer for Minnesota'
Friday 29 August 2025 19:30 , Sam RkainaThe shooting at a Minneapolis church was not the first tragedy to hit the area in recent weeks.
Even as most categories of crime continue to fall in Minneapolis after a surge that followed the 2020 killing of George Floyd, the season has seen a spike in violence that repeatedly led to armored vehicles rolling through the streets carrying police in full combat gear.
The city was stunned when a man posing as a police officer hunted a series of state lawmakers in the Minneapolis suburbs in the early hours of June 14.
Police say Vance Boelter fatally shot former House speaker Melissa Hortman, 55, long one of the state's most prominent Democrats, along with her husband, Mark. He also allegedly shot Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, though both survived.
On Tuesday this week a shooter sprayed bullets on a sidewalk behind a Catholic high school, killing one person and injuring six.
And then two children were shot dead at a church the day after, in another tragedy that has left the city reeling.
"This has been a tough summer for Minnesota," acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said Thursday.
Parents are conducting mass shooting drills at home
Friday 29 August 2025 19:12 , Oliver O'ConnellParents are holding mass shooting drills at their home to teach their children how to cope if it happens to them, CNN reports.
The news outlet spoke to Eeka McLeod, who has been teaching her seven-year-old daughter, Ella, how to deal in the event of a life-threatening emergency at school.
McLeod filmed the drill and posted it on social media, where it has been viewed 34 million times
“My perspective is... why are teachers responsible for this? This is my child. That is my responsibility,” she told CNN.
“And if she’s old enough to go to school and die - because our schoolchildren are dying - she’s old enough to know the truth.”
9-year-old girl ran from church to school gym, despite injuries
Friday 29 August 2025 18:55 , Oliver O'ConnellA second story has emerged of an injured victim from the Annunciation Church mass shooting being taken to a hospital where their mother works.
Vivian St. Clair, 9, was shot multiple times in her arm and back before being taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center.
According to a GoFundMe page set up to support the family:
Despite her injuries, Vivi ran from the church to the school gym, where a police officer scooped her up and rushed her to an ambulance. She was taken to HCMC, where her mom, Malia, works.
Doctors have shared that Vivi has several bullet fragments in her small body that they do not intend to remove, meaning she may carry them with her for life. She is receiving IV antibiotics and fluids, and through it all, she continues to smile and radiate sweetness. She’s been telling people how excited she is to swim at her Grandma’s pool in Arizona this evening with her dad, Joe—just showing how innocent and hopeful she remains.
Vice president raises concerns about country's 'mental health crisis'
Friday 29 August 2025 18:40 , Oliver O'ConnellVice President JD Vance has raised concerns about America’s ‘mental health crisis’ in the wake of the church shooting this week.
"We really do have, I think, a mental health crisis in the United States of America,” Vance said at an event in Wisconsin.
“We take way more psychiatric medication than any other nation on Earth, and I think it’s time for us to start asking some very hard questions about the root causes of this violence.”
Shooter recently broke up with romantic partner, report says
Friday 29 August 2025 18:22 , Oliver O'ConnellFox 9 reports that, according to a search warrant, the shooter who opened fire on a crowd of people and killed two children at a Minneapolis church and school had recently broken up with a romantic partner.
The warrant says that the shooter, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the church, had been driving a van registered to their father when the attack was carried out.
Beside the body, which was dressed in black “tactical gear,” were a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol.
Per Fox 9:
During a search of the shooter’s father’s home, law enforcement recovered a Condor tactical vest with “various attachments not related to law enforcement/security,” two external media storage devices and miscellaneous documents.
The father told police the shooter recently “broke up with a significant and/or romantic partner” and had been staying with a friend.
The father also confirmed to police that the shooter attended Annunciation as a child and that the shooter’s mother, his former spouse, worked there in the past.
Father recounts moment shooter opened fire through church window
Friday 29 August 2025 18:15 , Oliver O'ConnellDevin O’Brien was in the church attending Mass on Wednesday morning with his three children. He spoke to NBC affiliate KARE11’s Lou Raguse about what he saw.
“I can't explain the relief I feel for the kids I see here today and the absolute heartbreak for the families that don't have a kid coming home to them,” said O'Brien.
As the first shot was fired, O'Brien saw a rifle barrel poke through a narrow, broken stained-glass window.
“I yelled out ‘shooter,’” he said.
What followed was 119 shots fired into the church. The shooter’s writings and YouTube videos show he had a specific intent to kill children.
“There was a break in the shooting, and I ran from pew to pew and was just checking on kids. And I saw their little faces looking up at me. And they were so scared,” O'Brien said.
He added that it wasn't just adults helping the kids.
“The reason why a lot of the older students were injured, shot, was they were on the ground protecting their younger buddies. And I saw so many brave kids in that church yesterday, injured kids who were still trying to help. They were looking after each other in what was the most terrifying moment one can imagine,” O'Brien said.
Mike Johnson says ‘human heart’ is responsible for mass shootings
Minneapolis mayor responds to criticism for demand for action after shooting
Friday 29 August 2025 17:38 , Oliver O'ConnellMinneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has responded to criticism of his call for actions in addition to prayers in response to Wednesday’s mass shooting.
Frey was reacting to a post by Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard, who wrote: “Those like @jenpsaki and @Jacob_Frey who criticize prayers in the wake of the Minneapolis tragedy are expressing the same anti-God sentiment that motivated the shooter— he aimed his wrath at God by trying to stop people with his bullets from praying to God. Now is a time for us to come together and join hands in prayer, for the children who were killed, their loved ones, and those who survived this horrific shooting.”
The mayor responded: “In Judaism, under תִּיקּוּן עוֹלָם ("Heal the World"), we are taught that prayer is necessary, but not sufficient. Elected leaders cannot use prayers alone to let ourselves off the hook for our own inaction.”
School shootings in the U.S. are met with calls for “thoughts and prayers” for the victims, followed by stunning inaction from lawmakers to address access to guns.
In Judaism, under תִּיקּוּן עוֹלָם ("Heal the World"), we are taught that prayer is necessary, but not sufficient. Elected leaders cannot use prayers alone to let ourselves off the hook for our own inaction. https://t.co/7DTNf7w8Zx
— Jacob Frey (@Jacob_Frey) August 29, 2025
Mayor Frey was joined by several Democratic lawmakers at City Hall on Thursday to call for state and federal bans on high-capacity magazines and assault weapons.
Ban assault weapons and high capacity magazines. Now. pic.twitter.com/OpXB1MSZIV
— Jacob Frey (@Jacob_Frey) August 28, 2025
Minnesota Senator Tina Smith has also expressed her support for such a move. She wrote on X: “What civilian on God’s green Earth needs a gun that fires 116 rounds that quickly.”
What civilian on God’s green Earth needs a gun that fires 116 rounds that quickly https://t.co/ao84kyT3js
— Tina Smith (@SenTinaSmith) August 28, 2025
Minneapolis suspect’s mom retains Kaepernick lawyer as cops say she has not spoken to them
Friday 29 August 2025 17:30 , Oliver O'ConnellPolice in Minneapolis say they have not been able to speak to the mother of church shooting suspect Robin Westman, as investigations into the killings continue.
The 23-year-old suspect opened fire through the stained-glass window of the church at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis at around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday before taking their own life. Two children, named as 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski were killed in the attack, with 18 others wounded.
Officers are now trying to piece together what led to the tragedy, including conducting dozens of interviews with those who knew Westman best. But police said they have been unable to speak to Mary Grace Westman, the suspect’s mother, who has hired a criminal defense attorney in the wake of the shooting.
Nicole Wootton-Cane has the latest.
Minneapolis suspect’s mom retains lawyer as cops say she has not spoken to them
How to help the victims of the Minneapolis mass shooting
Friday 29 August 2025 17:18 , Oliver O'ConnellSince Wednesday’s horrific events at Annunciation Catholic Church, people across the U.S. have stepped up with offers of help.
The City of Minneapolis established the Annunciation Response Fund, with the Minneapolis Foundation setting up a text-to-donate line.
Anyone wishing to donate to support the victims of the shooting can text “ACF1” to 41444.
The Minneapolis Foundation says it will work with Annunciation Catholic School to distribute those funds in the coming days and weeks.
The Minneapolis City’s Emergency Operations Center has also created a Donations Plan. Donated goods can be dropped off at Diamond Lake Lutheran Church, located at 5760 Portland Avenue, until 7 p.m. CT on Friday.
Families from the school will have the opportunity to access donated goods first, with the remaining donations being distributed to local community-based organizations
The Catholic Community Foundation of Minnesota has launched the Annunciation Hope and Healing Fund to support the church community.
GoFundMe has created a centralized hub of verified fundraisers. So far, eight fundraisers have been verified.
The Uvalde Foundation for Kids has launched a national initiative to provide financial support for the families of the two children who were killed at Annunciation to help with funeral arrangements, memorials and other expenses.
Finally, medical staff at hospitals who cared for the injured have underlined the need for blood donors as a substantial amount of the state’s supply was used in response to the attack.
With reporting from 5KSTP
As of Friday morning, eight of the 18 injured victims of the mass shooting at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis are still hospitalized.
Two days after the shooting, seven people remain hospitalized at Hennepin Healthcare, and one is still being treated at Children’s Minnesota.
Per ABC affiliate 5KTSP:
While Children’s MN hasn’t released the condition of the child it is treating, Hennepin Healthcare says four of its seven patients from the shooting are in “satisfactory condition.” As for the other three, one child and one adult are in serious condition and one child is in critical condition.
In pictures: People visit a make-shift memorial at Annunciation Catholic Church after the Wednesday's shooting
Friday 29 August 2025 17:00 , Oliver O'Connell
11-year-old survivor of church shooting says she is 'scared' and 'paranoid'
Friday 29 August 2025 16:40 , Oliver O'ConnellChloe Francoual, an 11-year-old survivor of the Minneapolis school shooting, says it has left her feeling “scared” and “paranoid”.
She described how she now wants to shut every open window she sees.
She told CNN she hopes Mass will no longer be held at the Annunciation church.
“I still feel scared,” she said. “I feel kind of like paranoid.”
“Every time I see, like, a window open, I want to close it. Because just, I don’t want it happening again. And what’s scary to think about is that ‘What if another person comes?’” she told the outlet.
“I really hope they don’t do Mass at the church anymore,” she said.
“Because I think they know that people will have like, really bad flashbacks of it. And they’re like scared to like walk in, and they’re like looking around like a shivering, like, shaking. And then I think that the school knows that.”
RFK Jr. uses Minneapolis church shooting to push his latest health initiative
Friday 29 August 2025 16:20 , Oliver O'ConnellHealth and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appeared to suggest without any evidence that antidepressant medication might have played a role in the shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
Kennedy, who has long speculated that psychiatric drugs play a role in mass shootings, appeared on Fox & Friends on Thursday.
Eric Garcia reports.
RFK Jr. uses Minneapolis church shooting to push his latest health initiative
Parents remember ‘bright, joyful and deeply loved’ 10-year-old daughter
Friday 29 August 2025 16:00 , Oliver O'ConnellThe second victim of the deadly mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school on Wednesday has been identified as Harper Moyski, age 10.
"We are devastated to share that our beloved daughter, Harper Moyski, was tragically killed in the recent school shooting,” parents Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin said in a statement to media outlets. “Harper was a bright, joyful, and deeply loved 10-year-old whose laughter, kindness, and spirit touched everyone who knew her.”
Read on...
Second victim of Minnesota church shooting identified as ‘bright, joyful’ 10-year-old
Father gives heartbreaking tribute to eight-year-old son killed in attack
Friday 29 August 2025 15:45 , Oliver O'ConnellOne of the two young victims of Wednesday’s deadly mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school has been identified as Fletcher Merkel, age 8.
“Yesterday, a coward decided to take our 8-year-old son Fletcher away from us,” his father, Jesse, said at a press conference on Thursday. “Because of their actions, we will never be allowed to hold him, talk to him, play with him, and watch him grow into the wonderful young man he was on the path to becoming.”
Read on...
8-year-old killed in Minnesota church shooting is identified
Jen Psaki responds to MAGA’s ‘bad faith’ attacks over her saying ‘prayer is not freaking enough’
Friday 29 August 2025 15:31 , Oliver O'ConnellMSNBC host Jen Psaki fired back at the White House and other conservative critics who have slammed her for saying “prayer is not freaking enough” in the wake of yet another mass shooting, calling the attacks “bad faith” and an effort to not address the issue of gun violence.
Justin Baragona reports.
Psaki reacts to MAGA’s ‘bad faith’ attacks over her ‘prayer’ remarks on MN shooting
FBI has no prior contact with shooter, despite disturbing online videos
Friday 29 August 2025 15:22 , Oliver O'ConnellThe FBI’s special agent in charge in Minneapolis, Alvin M. Winston Sr., said the agency had no prior contact with the shooter who killed two children and injured 15 others and three seniors on Wednesday.
“We did a check of all of our holdings, the FBI holdings, and he was not in our holdings prior to this incident, so we didn’t have anything on him at that time,” Winston said.
FBI Director Kash Patel described the attack as “an act of domestic terrorism motivated by a hate-filled ideology.”
Police are reviewing online videos, which have been removed from YouTube, in which the shooter scrawled racial slurs, a homophobic slur, antisemitic messages, a call for President Donald Trump’s death, and references to the Holocaust and the Catholic Church.
Additionally, the video showed the suspect flipping through a journal written in English but using the Cyrillic alphabet. Occasionally uttering “koshmar," the Russian word for “nightmare,” the shooter discusses the mechanics of mass school shootings and suicide.
No red flags raised over shooter, police say
Friday 29 August 2025 15:11 , Oliver O'ConnellNo “red flag” alarms were sounded over Minneapolis shooting suspect Robin Westman prior to Wednesday’s deadly incident, police have said.
A Minnesota state “red flag” law allows family members and others to ask authorities to have guns removed from a person they believe could be a danger to themselves or their community.
Westman was able to buy a rifle, shotgun and a pistol that were all used in Wednesday’s attack.
Authorities have said the guns were purchased lawfully, and there is no indication so far in their investigations that any alerts over Westman’s behavior were raised.
“There is nothing in the investigation so far that would lead us to believe that anything was missed,” Minneapolis police Chief Brian O’Hara said.
The shooter, he said, was able to “lawfully purchase these weapons.”
Police visited suspect’s home at least twice when they were a teenager: report
Friday 29 August 2025 15:06 , Oliver O'ConnellCops visited the home of Robin Westman on at least two occasions when the suspect was a teenager, according to a report.
Heavily redacted records obtained from the police department in Eagan, Minnesota, by NBC News, show officers went to the residence on 26 January 2018 for a ‘welfare check of a juvenile”.
The name of the individual involved is blacked out.
Two years prior to that call, police records show officers attended the same address following a report of a “criminal offense” there.
All further details of the incident, except for the fact that the case was closed, have been redacted.
Westman died by suicide at the scene of the mass shooting.
Neighbor watched cops take Minneapolis shooter’s family from their home as ‘surreal’ connection to killer set in
Friday 29 August 2025 15:00 , Oliver O'ConnellThe day after a mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic School that left two children dead and 18 people injured, including 15 other youngsters and three elderly parishioners, local residents continue trying to come to grips with the horrific event.
“I would say I was thunderstruck,” said Jim White, who lives across the street from 23-year-old shooter Robin Westman.
White, 57, told The Independent that he often crossed paths with the suspect’s dad and stepmom, and that the news of the horrific act caught him entirely by surprise.
Justin Rohrlich reports.
Neighbor saw cops surround Minneapolis shooter’s home as ‘surreal’ connection set in
Nurse mom of Minnesota shooting victim was working in ICU when wounded daughter arrived
Friday 29 August 2025 14:40 , Oliver O'ConnellThe mother of Sophia Forchas, one of the 15 children injured in Wednesday’s deadly shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school, is a nurse in the pediatric intensive care unit who was working at the hospital the morning when her daughter and others began arriving for emergency treatment.
Josh Marcus and Mike Bedigan report.
Nurse mom was at hospital as daughter and other Minnesota shooting victims arrived
Locked church doors saved countless lives, police say
Friday 29 August 2025 14:21 , Oliver O'ConnellPolice say locked church doors likely saved “countless lives” during the Minneapolis school shooting in which two children were killed and 17 others injured at Annunciation Catholic School.
The shooter, Robin Westman, 23, fired through church windows after failing to enter the building, leaving behind writings showing a “deranged fascination”, according to police chief Brian O’Hara.
The shooter had not been able to get inside due to the locked doors, Mr O’Hara said.
He said the shooter’s writings revealed hatred for “almost every group imaginable.”
Acting U.S. attorney for Minnesota, Joe Thompson, added that the attacker was “obsessed” with killing children.
“I won’t dignify the shooter’s words by repeating them,” he said. “They are horrific and vile, but in short, the shooter wanted to watch children suffer.”
'This has been a tough summer for Minnesota'
Friday 29 August 2025 14:06 , Sam RkainaThe shooting at a Minneapolis church was not the first tragedy to hit the area in recent weeks.
Even as most categories of crime continue to fall in Minneapolis after a surge that followed the 2020 killing of George Floyd, the season has seen a spike in violence that repeatedly led to armored vehicles rolling through the streets carrying police in full combat gear.
The city was stunned when a man posing as a police officer hunted a series of state lawmakers in the Minneapolis suburbs in the early hours of June 14.
Police say Vance Boelter fatally shot former House speaker Melissa Hortman, 55, long one of the state's most prominent Democrats, along with her husband, Mark. He also allegedly shot Democratic state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette, though both survived.
On Tuesday this week a shooter sprayed bullets on a sidewalk behind a Catholic high school, killing one person and injuring six.
And then two children were shot dead at a church the day after, in another tragedy that has left the city reeling.
"This has been a tough summer for Minnesota," acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said Thursday.
Pictures from interfaith church service as a community mourns
Friday 29 August 2025 13:48 , Sam Rkaina
Parents are conducting mass shooting drills at home
Friday 29 August 2025 13:26 , Sam RkainaParents are holding mass shooting drills at their home to teach their children how to cope if it happens to them, CNN reports.
The news outlet spoke to Eeka McLeod, who has been teaching her seven year-old daughter Ella how to deal in the event of a life threatening emergency at school.
McLeod filmed the drill and posted it on social media, where it has been viewed 34 million times
“My perspective is... why are teachers responsible for this? This is my child. That is my responsibility,” she told CNN.
“And if she’s old enough to go to school and die - because our schoolchildren are dying - she’s old enough to know the truth.”
11 year-old caught up in shooting says 'mind keeps replaying it'
Friday 29 August 2025 13:05 , Sam RkainaAn 11 year-old girl has described the horror of the Minneapolis shooting and how it has impacted her since.
Chloe Francoual had been looking forward to the first Mass of the new school term when the tragedy unfolded.
“It was supposed to be a really good day,” she told CNN. “We had all our stuff ready. We were so excited. Even people who didn’t like school were really excited.
“The teacher was in the middle of saying our prayers, and then we heard just one shot,” Chloe said. “I thought it was a firework like everybody else.
“I don’t feel that safe in the church anymore,” she replies. “You’re supposed to go to the church to feel safe. I don’t feel safe anymore in that church.”
Vice president raises concerns about country's 'mental health crisis'
Friday 29 August 2025 12:38 , Sam RkainaVice president JD Vance has raised concerns about America’s ‘mental health crisis’ in the wake of the church shooting this week.
"We really do have, I think, a mental health crisis in the United States of America,” Vance said at an event in Wisconsin.
“We take way more psychiatric medication than any other nation on Earth, and I think it’s time for us to start asking some very hard questions about the root causes of this violence.”
