Annunciation Church school shooting: What we know about the victims

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Authorities said at least two children were killed, and several others were injured after a shooting Wednesday morning during the first week of classes at a Minneapolis Catholic school.

RELATED: LIVE UPDATES | Shooting at Annunciation School: 20 victims reported; suspect is dead, sources say

What we know about the victims 

What we know:

According to Police Chief Brian O’Hara, two children, ages 8 and 10, were shot and killed as they sat in the pew at Annunciation Catholic Church. 

O’Hara said there were 19 victims of the shooting. Two were children, 8 and 10, who were fatally shot. Another 14 children, between ages 6 and 15, were injured by gunfire. And three adults in their 80s who were attending mass were also shot. 

All the remaining victims are expected to survive, O’Hara said during a press conference Wednesday afternoon.

RELATED: Annunciation school shooting: What’s known about the suspect

Children’s Minnesota, a pediatric trauma hospital, said in a statement to FOX News that seven children were admitted for care, and four have been discharged as of 4 p.m. Wednesday. 

Hennepin Healthcare, which has Minnesota’s largest emergency department, said it also was caring for 10 patients from the shooting.

The school was evacuated, and students’ families were later directed to a “reunification zone” at the school. Outside, amid a heavy uniformed law enforcement presence, were uniformed children in their dark green shirts or dresses. Many were trickling out of the school with adults, giving lingering hugs and wiping away tears.

What we don’t know:

Authorities have not revealed the identities of the victims.

Victim’s parent responds

Danielle Gunter, the mother of an eighth-grade boy who was shot, released the following statement on Wednesday:

“Our hearts are shattered — not only for him, but for everyone who was harmed. We grieve and we pray: for the others who were shot, for their families, and for those who lost loved ones.

“And for the first responders, who raced into danger for others, for us. We thank them all. Our son shared with us that an MPD officer “really helped him.” He said the officer rendered aid, hugged him, reassured him, and prayed with him before getting into the ambulance.

“We ask for leaders to place armed security at schools to prevent another tragedy like this. There is no higher calling than keeping kids safe — and it starts with protecting them from evil in this world. 

“We feel the pain, the anger, the confusion, and the searing reality that our lives will never be the same. Yet we still have our child. 

“Unlike others, we are blessed to hold onto him. We will help him rebuild his life, his trust, and his confidence.

“We don’t want others to ever feel the same. And we pray that everyone touched by this tragedy can find the strength to begin rebuilding too.”

‘Children are dead’

What they’re saying:

“There are no words that can capture the horror and the evil of this unspeakable act,” Mayor Jacob Frey said in a news conference. “Children are dead.”

“The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible,” O’Hara added. “Some of the children that were hiding throughout the building.”

“Our hearts are broken for the families who have lost their children,” he continued. “For these young lives that are now fighting to recover, and for our entire community that has been so deeply traumatized by this senseless attack, we will stand together to protect our children, our schools, and our houses of worship.”

“I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence,” Gov. Tim Walz wrote on X.

Local perspective:

Bill Bienemann, who lives a couple of blocks away and has long attended Mass at Annunciation Church, said he heard dozens of shots, perhaps as many as 50, over as long as four minutes.

“I was shocked. I said, ‘There’s no way that could be gunfire,’” he said. “There was so much of it. It was sporadic.”

History of Annunciation Catholic School 

Dig deeper:

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. Recent social media posts from the school show children smiling at a back-to-school event, holding up summer art projects, playing together and enjoying ice pops.

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