Three people were killed this morning after 23-year-old Robin Westman stormed a Catholic church in Minneapolis and opened fire on a group of children.
Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed in the pews where they had been sitting before the attacker turned the gun on himself at Annunciation Church in south Minneapolis, according to reports.
A terrified young schoolgirl described how she hid in her classroom and prayed with a friend as Westman fired bullets through the church windows.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the gunman, dressed in black and armed with a shotgun, rifle, and pistol, fired all three weapons, describing it as ‘a deliberate act of violence.’
At least 16 children, ages six to fourteen, were rushed to nearby hospitals for treatment as investigators responded to what authorities called a ‘mass casualty’ incident.
Clarissa Garcia, a fifth-grade student at Annunciation, revealed she was praying for her life after a shooter opened fire on her and her classmates.
“I was just at church and I heard something really loud. I thought it was fireworks in the church, and then I saw the shooting, and I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, I’m so scared,'” Clarissa said.
She said a different teacher guided her to a different classroom while she was praying for safety.
“I hope nobody got, like, killed or something like that or, like, hurt. I was just praying if everybody could be safe and, like, nobody would do this again,” Clarissa said.
The young girl said she finally felt safe once she was reunited with her mother.
“Like my guardian angel was with me, God was with me. And I was, like, hugging my mom as tightly as I can,” she said.
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