Boston Archbishop Richard Henning on Wednesday expressed sadness and promised to pray for the victims of a mass shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis.
Two children were killed and 17 other people were injured in the shooting during a Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School before the gunman killed himself, officials said.
“I would like to express prayerful solidarity with the community of Annunciation Parish and school, Archbishop [Bernard] Hebda, and all the clergy, religious and faithful of the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis as today they suffer the effects of cruel violence,” Henning said in a statement.
“We pray seeking healing for the wounded, strength for the bereaved, and peace for the students who died while gathered with their classmates in prayer. May the intercession of Saint Michael the Archangel, defender of the innocent, deliver us from evil.”
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the shooter — armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol — approached the side of the church and shot through the windows toward the children sitting in the pews during Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School.
FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting is being investigated as domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.
O’Hara said the shooter was in his early 20s, did not have an extensive known criminal history and acted alone, but did not release any other information. A law enforcement official told The Associated Press that authorities identified the shooter as Robin Westman.
The children who died Wednesday were ages 8 and 10. Fourteen of the 17 injured are also children, two of whom were in critical condition Wednesday.
Founded in 1923, Annunciation Catholic School had 391 students enrolled for the 2023-24 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. The school goes from pre-K to eighth grade.
Pope Leo XIV also expressed sorrow for Minneapolis community in the wake of the shooting. In a telegram to Hebda, the Pope expressed his “heartfelt condolences and the assurance of spiritual closeness to all those affected by this terrible tragedy, especially the families immediately grieving the loss of a child,” according to Vatican News.
In the telegram, the Pope commended “the souls of the deceased children to the love of Almighty God” and “prays for the wounded as well as the first responders, medical personnel and clergy who are caring for them and their loved ones.”
Nick Stoico can be reached at nick.stoico@globe.com.
About the Author
