Speaker 1 (00:01):
We are a Minneapolis family, but to everybody out there, do not think of these as just somebody else's kids. Those families are suffering immense pain right now. Think of this as if it were your own. Every one of us needs to be wrapping our arms around these families, giving them every ounce that we can muster. These were Minneapolis families, these were American families, and the amount of pain that they are suffering right now is extraordinary. And don't just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school, they were in a church. These are kids that should be learning with their friends. They should be playing on the playground. They should be able to go to school or church in peace without the fear or risk of violence, and their parents should have the same kind of assurance. These are the sort of basic assurances that every family should have, every step of the day, regardless of where they are in our country.
(01:23)
I am so deeply saddened and I'm so sorry to the families that I know are suffering right now. My ask is to everyone, stand by them, love them. These families have forever been changed and we've all been changed with them. We need to do everything possible to support them through this time. We have a family resource center that has been set up. I'm grateful for all of the law enforcement agencies from a number of different jurisdictions, all the different departmental support that we've received. They are going to be working tirelessly. There's also a family resource center that is being set up as we speak to make sure that we're there for everybody.
(02:20)
Again, to the families that are suffering, to those that have experienced loss, I'm so deeply sorry. We're going to be with you every step of the way. We love you. This kind of act of evil should never happen and it happens far too often. The chief will provide additional details.
Brian O'Hara (02:44):
My name is Brian O'Hara, B-R-I-A-N, O'-H-A-R-A. I am the Minneapolis police chief. Earlier today, just before 8:30 AM, our city experienced an unthinkable tragedy. Minneapolis police officers responded to a report of a shooting at a mass that was happening at the Annunciation Roman Catholic Church on the block behind me. This worship service was marking the first week of school for children that are attending the Annunciation Catholic School.
(03:22)
During the mass, a gunman approached on the outside, on the side of the building, and began firing a rifle through the church windows towards the children sitting in the pews at the mass. Shooting through the windows, he struck children and worshipers that were inside the building. The shooter was armed with a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol. This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshiping. The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible.
(04:10)
Police officers from the Minneapolis Police Department immediately responded, entered the church and attempted to provide first aid and rescue some of the children that were hiding throughout the building, while other first responders came and EMS responded to rush victims to nearby hospitals. Two young children, ages 8 and 10, were killed where they sat in the pews. Their parents have been notified. 17 other people were injured, 14 of them being children. Two of those children are in critical condition. The coward who fired these shots ultimately took his own life in the rear of the church.
(05:01)
Our hearts are broken for the families who have lost their children, for these young lives that are now fighting to recover, and for our entire community that has been so deeply traumatized by this senseless attack. We will stand together to protect our children, our schools, and our houses of worship. This deliberate act of violence is just a sign of cruelty that is beyond comprehension.
(05:38)
Our hearts are broken for everyone that's been affected by this tragedy. As we begin the difficult path of healing, I want the community to know this, that even in the face of such evil, the Minneapolis Police Department and all of our law enforcement partners stand with our community. We stand with these families and with this parish. We will continue to be here for you. With that, the investigation is obviously in its preliminary stages, and I will attempt to take some questions to provide further information.
Reporter (06:13):
Chief, what can you tell us about the suspect in this case? How old was he? Any kind of motivation? Any notes or any other information you might have?
Brian O'Hara (06:24):
So, the question was what can be said about the shooter? We believe it is one suspect, a sole shooter. We believe he is deceased. He's in his early 20s, does not have an extensive known criminal history, and we are looking through information left behind to try and determine some type of motive.
Reporter (06:49):
How many many kids were at the school?
Brian O'Hara (06:51):
The question was how many children at the school? There were dozens of children inside the mass at the time. I don't have an exact count. The children have been relocated into the school, which is where their families are reunifying with them.
Reporter (07:06):
Was the shooter a former student? Was he a former employee? Did we know that?
Brian O'Hara (07:14):
The question was do we know if the shooter was a former school employee or a former student? We don't have that information.
Reporter (07:22):
Did he leave anything behind, other than the weapons?
Brian O'Hara (07:27):
The question was, was anything left behind? There's a vehicle that we believe that the suspect used, that is being searched, and we will be conducting other searches related to this.
Reporter (07:37):
[inaudible 00:07:40].
Brian O'Hara (07:39):
Inside the parking lot here.
Reporter (07:42):
There was some neighbors who said that the door to the church had been barricaded. Is that correct?
Brian O'Hara (07:47):
So, the question was neighbors had said that the door to the church had been barricaded. The shooter approached on one side of the church building, and on that side, at least two doors, it appears there had been a two-by-four placed. So not all of the doors around the building, but on the side where the shooter did fire.
Reporter (08:08):
And on the outside?
Brian O'Hara (08:08):
On the outside, yes.
Reporter (08:10):
[inaudible 00:08:10] shootings related?
(08:11)
Were there any explosives that were found?
Brian O'Hara (08:14):
The question was, was there any explosives?
Reporter (08:14):
Were there any explosives that were found?
Brian O'Hara (08:16):
The question was, was there any explosives? There were reports of that. There were no explosives or improvised devices that we found. I do believe there was one, I guess you would call it a smoke bomb, but not an explosive but a firework that would release smoke.
Reporter (08:32):
And which side of the building? North, south, east, west?
Brian O'Hara (08:35):
The side that is closest to us, here on this side.
Reporter (08:41):
[inaudible 00:08:41] nearby homes?
Brian O'Hara (08:43):
I don't have specific information on that.
Reporter (08:45):
Was he dead from a gunshot wound, the suspect?
Brian O'Hara (08:48):
Yeah. The question was is he dead from a gunshot wound? The answer is yes, we believe he took his own life in the parking lot.
Reporter (08:53):
And was this outside or both inside that he was shooting [inaudible 00:08:58]?
Brian O'Hara (08:59):
The question was, was he shooting outside and inside? He was absolutely shooting outside of the building on the side of the church, inside through the windows. It appears he may have gone inside, but I don't believe we've located any casings inside the building, so I'm not certain if he fired also while inside. It appears if not all, most of the shooting happened outside the building.
Reporter (09:19):
Chief, is this shooting related to any other shootings that happened in the last 24 hours?
Brian O'Hara (09:24):
Yeah. Taylor's asking is this related to any of the other shootings? This does not appear to be related to any other shooting in the city.
Reporter (09:30):
Do you know approximately how many rounds were fired?
Brian O'Hara (09:33):
The question was how many rounds? I would say it's in the dozens. We don't have an exact count. There's a sidewalk on the outside as well as a grassy area, so obviously we are going through and taking our time to process the scene.
Reporter (09:45):
Was he firing just one weapon, like the rifle?
Brian O'Hara (09:47):
The question was, was he firing one weapon? We believe he had fired all three. He had a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol.
Reporter (09:55):
Chief, was this individual licensed to conceal or carry? Did he have any background prior?
Brian O'Hara (10:02):
Was he lawfully carrying the weapons? I don't have that information and I don't have any information on any significant criminal history either.
Reporter (10:10):
Was he dressed at all in any tactical type of appear or anything?
Brian O'Hara (10:14):
It appeared he had some black clothing on, his cargo type pants. I guess you could interpret that however you like.
Speaker 4 (10:25):
All right, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for helping us to get the information out today. We have a lot more work that needs to be done. We will return back later today to provide more details as they become available, and we'll let you know how you can know about that in the moment that comes. Thank you.
Reporter (10:43):
How can the public help?
Speaker 5 (10:54):
Once again, folks, if you have further inquiries you want to send via email, communications@minneapolismn.gov.
Reporter (11:12):
Yeah, thank you.
Speaker 5 (11:23):
Hey, folks. One other quick thing, if you want to be absolutely sure to be notified of the next press avail, please send an email, again, to communications@minneapolismn.gov.