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The gunman who opened fire at a school in Minneapolis had fired shots through church windows, killing two children and injuring 17 people. He was later found dead.
A mother carries her daughter, as they walk towards their vehicle after a shooting at Annunciation Church (Photo: Reuters)
The Minneapolis school shooter, who attacked multiple people during Wednesday’s Mass, had fired shots through the windows of the school church towards the children sitting in the pews during Mass, investigators have learnt.
The accused, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, had legally purchased three weapons, a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol, and had no known criminal history, the Associated Press quoted an official as saying.
The incident happened at the Annunciation Catholic School at nearly 8.30 am, and left two children, aged 8 and 10, dead, and as many as 17 worshippers injured.
“This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshipping. The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told reporters.
Westman was later found dead in the parking lot from what the investigators believe was a self-inflicted gunshot.
Meanwhile, the Federal Bureau of Investigation is probing this shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics.
It was also known that Westman used three weapons and fired dozens of rounds. He also tried to barricade the doors with a wooden plank on the side of the church where he was shooting.
Federal officials referred to Westman as transgender.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned anyone who would use the shooting to villainise the transgender community.
Westman’s uncle, former Kentucky state lawmaker Bob Heleringer, told AP that Robin is the youngest child of one of his sisters. He said he last saw Robin at a family wedding several years ago, but has not had contact with him since then.
Public records showed Westman’s mother, Mary Westman, had worked as an administrative assistant at Annunciation Church.
The shooting at Annunciation Catholic School, a private elementary school with about 395 students, was the 146th such incident in the country since January, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database.
The steady drumbeat of shootings has prompted new safety measures and provided grist for ongoing debates about gun laws, Reuters said.
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Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
Vani Mehrotra is the Deputy News Editor at News18.com. She has nearly 10 years of experience in both national and international news and has previously worked on multiple desks.
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