FBI Treats Minneapolis School Shooting as Anti-Catholic Hate Crime

A shooting at a school in Minneapolis that left two children dead and 17 others injured is being investigated as an anti-Catholic hate crime, the FBI says.

The FBI is investigating this shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics, FBI Director Kash Patel said in a post on X.

The two children, aged 8 and 10, were killed when an attacker opened fire through the windows of the city's Annunciation Church on Wednesday morning as children were celebrating Mass.

The attacker, who died at the scene of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was later named by police as 23-year-old Robin Westman.

Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, was among those who paid tribute to the young victims, saying he was profoundly saddened by the attack.

Police Chief Brian O'Hara told reporters: This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshipping.

Authorities have not yet released a suspected motive for the attack. The attacker approached the side of the church, which also houses a school, and fired dozens of shots through the windows using three firearms - a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol. Police also found a smoke bomb at the scene.

In a touching moment, a 10-year-old boy who survived the attack recounted how his friend saved him, laying on top of him to shield him from the bullets.

Governor Tim Walz emphasized the tragedy's impact, stating the situation is all too common - not just in Minnesota, but across the country, expressing hope that no community or school ever has to endure such devastation.