There was a gruesome event that took place the first week of school at the Annunciation catholic church located in Minneapolis. The school shooting in Minneapolis caused two children to die and 17 others to be injured. The violence took place at approximately 8.00 AM Local time during a worship service where students were in attendance.
The government is considering it an incident of domestic terrorism and a possible hate crime against Catholics. The community now struggles to come to grips with loss and shock in its investigations into what transpired and the motives behind the attack.
Who Carried Out the Attack?
The Minneapolis school shooting suspect has been identified as 23-year-old resident Robin Westman of a Minneapolis suburb. Westman had a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol, according to the law enforcement. Police also found a smoke bomb in one of the vehicles that was associated with the suspect.
Police verified that the attacker was acting independently and did not have a serious criminal record. The suspect supposedly drafted a manifesto, which was to be released online at some time during the attack, but was immediately removed with the help of the FBI. The suspect is now deceased. Here is the link to our article on the Drone Attack in Sochi.
Who Are the Victims?
The two young students who were aged eight and ten years old were killed in the shooting. Out of the 17 injured, 14 are children, and the other three are elderly parishioners aged 80. A number of the victims were seriously wounded and needed urgent operation.
The medical officials ensured that all the injured persons would survive. The seven children were to be treated at Hennepin County Medical Center, and four of them were taken through urgent surgery. Others were ferried to hospitals nearby to treat non-life-threatening injuries.
The psychological impact on families and the community at large, Minneapolis at large, has been termed as overwhelming. Mayors were calling upon the people to act and show compassion towards the attack.
Facts about Annunciation Catholic School?
Annunciation School accommodates learners from preschool up to Grade 8 and is faith-based. The school is an engaged participant in the local Minneapolis community and has outreach relationships, such as a sister school located in Haiti.
After the Minneapolis school shooting, the school leadership showed their sorrow and their gratitude for receiving support. Principal Matt DeBoer requested prayers, but he also pointed out that something real needs to be done to ensure that such tragedies are avoided in the future. His call to prayer with our feet was to show that there is a pressing need to deal with school safety and gun violence. Here is the link to our article on the Sudan Camp Attack.
Was the School Shooting Driven by Religious Hate?
The motive of the attack is still under investigation by law enforcement, with the FBI and local police. Although there is no established connection between the suspect and the school, the preliminary evidence points to the possibility that the shooting happened because of religious hate.
The contents of the manifesto are not published in their entirety; however, its discovery is what has caused the increased concern about the issue of extremism and targeted violence. Law enforcement agencies are telling people to be mindful and report any suspicious online activity or threat to schools or other religious institutions.
Final Thoughts
The school shooting in Minneapolis is a heartbreaking experience of how communities are weak and the importance of protective steps in schools. With the mourning and the survivors healing, the question must then turn on how such a tragedy is possible-and how to stop the next one. The country has to walk the fine line between grieving and doing to make sure that children are able to learn and worship safely and serenely.
