Two children, ages eight and 10, went to school this morning.
They won’t be going home.
Somebody decided that this would be a good morning to spray bullets into a church full of people. Why the 20-something (probably) man made that decision is an open question, and may remain so. He killed himself after committing murder.
This happened in Minneapolis, Minnesota, near West 54th Street, where it becomes Diamond Lake Road. (Google Maps)
That’s the gist of what I saw in the news around noon today:
“Two children are dead, two other children are in critical condition, and a total of 17 people are injured following a Wednesday morning shooting at Church of the Annunciation in southwest Minneapolis, according to police.
“Police say the shooter, a man in his 20s, opened fire during an all-school mass held at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday, when dozens of Annunciation Catholic School students and other worshippers were gathered in the adjoining church….
“…During a news conference, MPD Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old were killed and two other children are in critical condition. He said 17 people were injured, in addition to the children who died….”
(“Live updates: 2 children killed, 17 injured as shooter opens fire at Minneapolis church” , BringMeTheNews (August 27, 2025))“…’This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshiping,’ [Minneapolis Police Chief Brian] O’Hara said. ‘The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children, it’s absolutely incomprehensible.’ …”
(“Annunciation Church Minneapolis: What’s known about shooting suspect” , Megan Ziegler, FOX 9 KMSP (August 27, 2025))“…Dating to 1923, the pre-kindergarten through eighth grade school had an all-school Mass scheduled at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to its website. Monday was the first day of school….”
(“Annunciation Church school shooting: What we know about the victims” , Chris Williams, FOX 9 KMSP (August 27, 2025))
I’m not, putting it mildly, happy about this. I’ll probably be angry, as soon as the disgust I’m feeling eases off.
As for what I think about what happened:
- Human life is precious, a gift from God
- Murder is a bad idea and we shouldn’t do it
- Suicide is a bad idea and we shouldn’t do it
- Attacking places of worship isn’t nice
I’ve talked about that, emotions, and trying to make sense, before:
- “My Church in Sauk Centre, Minnesota: Vandalized” (September 24, 2022)
- “In Praise of Lilacs, Blue Sky and Rain” (May 29, 2021)
- “Murders, Life and Death” (March 19, 2018)
Later: 3:00 p.m. CDT, 20:00 UTC; August 27, 2025
It’s early days, a few items about the person who committed murder and suicide are popping up.
My guess is by tomorrow news coverage, if it continues, will focus on the weapons used, rather than the perpetrator’s possible motives.
I’m also guessing that he was not thinking straight: or maybe was under the impression that the Catholic Church is part of a Jewish plot. That’s assuming that any thought was involved.
Anyway, here’s a sample:
“…posted two YouTube videos, one ten minutes and the other twenty minutes long, showing writings that reference suicide, depression, ‘extremely violent thoughts and ideas,’ as well as an apology addressed ‘to my family and friends’ and a drawing of the layout of a church. A video also showed a number of guns, bullets and magazines. Messages were written on the guns, including antisemitic, and racist phrases and a message saying ‘Kill Donald Trump’. The channel was taken down shortly after the uploads….[33][34]”
(Annunciation Catholic Church shooting, Wikipedia (copied August 27, 2025) [33 “Alleged attacker uploaded videos earlier today”. BBC News. August 27, 2025. Retrieved August 27, 2025.][34 “Suspect identified as Robin Westman, multiple sources say”. NBC News. August 27, 2025. Retrieved August 27, 2025.])
To call it a tragedy isn’t profound enough. My only comfort is knowing Jesus Christ was with them especially there, in His Real Presence. Prayers for the repose of their precious souls. May Christ and Our Blessed Mother surround the families and students with loving comfort. As Catholics, we receive the fullness of God’s provision of so many graces…including the sacrament of His Real Presence…because He knows we need Him. ♥️
“…isn’t profound enough….” Agreed. And amen.
I kept the tone deliberately low-key, in part because I was and am far too upset to handle the effort of doing ‘dramatic’ writing. And – I think there are far too many appeals based on emotion in play as it is.
Yes – I think prayer is a very good idea – for the repose of those folks who were killed, certainly.
On a related note, prayer isn’t a flack jacket – but making prayer a part of daily life has turned out to be a very good idea.
…and on the topic of a thoroughly humiliated Lord Jesus Christ, just because He displays Himself like that so openly does not mean He is encouraging further disobedience against Him. I am no Minnesota man, and I do not feel like someone built with the guts to be quite respectably journalistic, but I believe that being respectably journalistic comes with at least implicit honesty regarding one’s own biases and unreliability as a storyteller, too, and I think you do that with the brevity I see here, Mister Gill. And may all those who died in the incident rest in peace.
Wow. Yes.
Nothing I’ve heard or read so much as hints that Jesus wants us to act against His will. That’d be – quite simply, daft.
I don’t know about being “respectably journalistic” – both words have taken a beating in my culture, during my lifetime – – and thank you for your good word.
As for your last sentence: yes. There are a great many opportunities for prayer here. Also: amen.