Catholic Church of Annunciation conducts initial mass post Minneapolis school tragedy shooting incident
In a tragic turn of events, a mass shooting occurred at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis during a regular Mass service. The shooter, identified as Robin Westman, died by suicide at the scene. The delay in an official public identification is due to ongoing investigations and the sensitive nature of the case involving a minor.
The service held on Saturday evening was shifted to the parish's auditorium, a separate campus building from where the shooting occurred. Tess Rada, a parishioner who attended the Mass with her 8-year-old daughter, found it reassuring to hear Rev. Dennis Zehren share his feelings.
Zehren, who was leading Mass at the time of the shooting, rushed towards the sound of the bullets in an attempt to help. He expressed that he will be reflecting on the shooting for the rest of his life and that it is something he will never be able to unsee. Zehren urged parishioners to welcome the "light of a new day" after the shooting.
The shooting resulted in the death of two students, Fletcher Merkel (age 8) and Harper Moyski (age 10), and injuries to nearly two dozen other people, including at least 15 children and three adult parishioners. As of Friday, six people remained hospitalized, with a child in critical condition and an adult in serious condition.
The suspect was described as being full of hate and obsessed with the idea of killing children. The shooting involved a semiautomatic rifle, but no clear motive has been identified.
Charlie Lyman, a parishioner, stated that the church has been a source of strength for the Southwest Minneapolis community for decades. He expressed his hope that the church would continue to provide comfort and support during this difficult time.
Rev. Dennis Zehren shared his feelings about the shooting during Mass. He expressed that Jesus showed the congregation something during the shooting, but did not elaborate further. Archbishop Bernard Hebda hoped that returning to Mass would help the church's parishioners reclaim a sense of normality.
The Mass was reported by Dennis Romero from San Diego and Selina Guevara and Maggie Vespa from Minneapolis. The community continues to mourn the loss of the two young lives and pray for the recovery of the injured.
