The mayor of Minneapolis condemned the violence at a Catholic church on Wednesday, where a gunman opened fire during morning Mass, killing two children and injuring 17 others.
“These were American families, and the pain they are experiencing right now is unimaginable,” Mayor Jacob Frey said during a press conference near Annunciation Catholic Church in South Minneapolis. “Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers. These kids were literally praying.”
Authorities confirmed the victims who died were 8 and 10 years old. Of the 17 wounded, 14 were children—two of whom remain in critical condition. Hennepin Healthcare reported it is treating two adults and nine children ranging from ages 6 to 14, according to Dr. Thomas Wyatt, chair of emergency medicine.
The church operates a school serving prekindergarten through eighth grade. Frey emphasized that the school year had only just begun this week.
Students were attending their first Mass of the academic year when the shooter opened fire, spraying bullets through the church’s windows at children seated in the pews, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said. Dozens of children were present at the time.
The attacker, described as a man in his early 20s, used a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol during the assault, O’Hara said. Authorities have not released his name. He ultimately took his own life, and investigators have not yet determined whether he had any connection to the church.
“This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and people who came to worship,” O’Hara said.
