The sports teams of Minnesota have all expressed their devastation after a mass shooting at a Minneapolis parish school left two children dead and many others wounded, a tragedy that has shaken the community and drawn statements of grief from across the state’s sports world.
A Morning of Horror
The violence unfolded Wednesday morning inside Annunciation Catholic Church, where an elementary school service was underway. According to police, 23-year-old Robin Westman—who legally changed his name from Robert in 2020—stormed the church dressed in all black and heavily armed with a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol.
Witnesses said Westman unleashed gunfire through the stained-glass windows as terrified children, teachers, and parents scrambled for safety.
Two young students, just 8 and 10 years old, were killed. Seventeen others—including 14 children—suffered injuries in what Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara described as a “deliberate act of violence.”
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The gunman is deceased, law enforcement later confirmed.
Sports Teams Respond
As news of the tragedy spread, Minnesota’s professional sports teams joined local leaders in expressing their heartbreak.
“We are devastated by the horrific violence that took place at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis this morning,” the Vikings said in a statement on social media. “Our hearts are broken for the victims, their families, and all who have been impacted by this senseless and cowardly act. We are praying for the injured, those who witnessed the attack, and the first responders who were on the scene providing care and support during this tragedy.”
The NBA’s Timberwolves and the WNBA’s Lynx issued a joint statement, echoing the grief: “Our thoughts are with the victims, their families, and everyone whose lives have been forever changed by this senseless act of violence.”
Meanwhile, the Minnesota Twins baseball club wrote, “The taking of innocent lives in a place of learning and worship is incomprehensible.”
The NHL’s Minnesota Wild also wrote that they were “heartbroken and stand with the victims, families and loved ones affected by the senseless violence.”
Chaos and Response
Law enforcement swarmed the scene in the immediate aftermath. Minnesota state troopers, FBI agents, SWAT officers, paramedics, and ambulances converged on the church as victims were rushed to nearby hospitals. Authorities have not released a final count of those injured, but sources told local outlet KARE that multiple children remain hospitalized.
Parents and family members gathered in anguish outside the parish, waiting for word on their loved ones as the community reeled from what is already being called one of the darkest days in recent Minneapolis history.
A City in Mourning
While investigators work to piece together Westman’s motive, the city is left grappling with the grief of young lives lost and the trauma inflicted on survivors. For many, the attack anthem particularly hard coming inside a house of worship and school—places traditionally viewed as sanctuaries of safety.
The Vikings’ statement, along with those of the Timberwolves, Lynx, Wild, and Twins, reflects the deep ties between Minnesota’s sports teams and the community they represent. On Wednesday, those bonds were channeled into collective sorrow, with the hope of providing comfort and solidarity to the families enduring the unthinkable.
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