Catholic school shooting kills two children, aged 8 and 10 – what we know so farpublished at 17:47 British Summer Time
Here’s a recap of what we’ve learnt from updates given by the Minneapolis mayor, police and the hospital, about what police chief Brian O’Hara described as a “deliberate act of violence against children and worshippers”:
The victims
Two young children, aged eight and 10, were killed in the shooting.
Seventeen others were injured, with 14 of them being children. A doctor said seven children are in critical condition – earlier, police said two.
The gunman
Police said the attacker died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities believe he was in his early 20s, did not have an extensive criminal history, and acted alone.
He was believed to have used three weapons – a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol. A smoke bomb was also found in what police believe is his car.
Police are still searching for a motive.
The shooting
Police said the suspected gunman approached from outside the church and fired dozens of rounds through the windows, hitting children who were inside praying during a first week of school mass.
Image source, EPA