What Happened at Annunciation Catholic Church and School
On the morning of August 27, 2025, a gunman opened fire through the windows of the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis while students and adults were attending an all-school Mass during the first week of classes. Two children were killed, and many other people were wounded.
Minneapolis police identified the attacker as 23-year-old Robin Westman. Police Chief Brian O'Hara said Westman fired a rifle through the church's windows and also possessed a shotgun and a handgun. The weapons had been lawfully purchased, according to investigators. Westman died by suicide at the scene.
The two children killed were later identified as 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski. Early official reports said 17 people were injured, including 14 children and three adults. The casualty count was subsequently revised as authorities documented additional victims. The City of Minneapolis later reported that 30 people were wounded by gunfire: 26 children and three adults survived gunshot injuries, while Fletcher and Harper were killed. One additional person was injured in a way unrelated to gunfire.
FBI Investigated the Attack as Domestic Terrorism and an Anti-Catholic Hate Crime
Hours after the shooting, FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau was investigating the attack as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics. That wording described the federal investigation and should not be confused with a criminal conviction or court finding.
Investigators examined writings, videos and other material associated with Westman as they worked to establish the attacker's motives. Patel later said the material contained multiple anti-Catholic and anti-religious references as well as violent statements directed at other groups and individuals.
The available evidence led federal authorities to examine religious bias as a central part of the attack, but Minneapolis police also emphasized during the initial investigation that determining a complete motive required reviewing a large volume of material. The distinction is important: investigators can examine an incident as possible terrorism or a hate crime without a court ever adjudicating those charges, particularly because the attacker died at the scene.
Minneapolis Police Department officials confirmed they were working with federal, state and local partners in the investigation and emergency response.
What Investigators Learned About Robin Westman
Westman had a prior connection to Annunciation. Reporting after the attack established that Westman had attended the school, and Westman's mother previously worked at the parish before retiring in 2021.
Authorities said the attacker acted alone and had no known criminal history that would have prevented the lawful purchase of the firearms recovered after the shooting. Investigators searched residences and a vehicle associated with Westman and reviewed online videos and writings posted around the time of the attack.
The material included violent imagery, references to previous mass shootings and hostility toward religion. Those findings provided important evidence for the FBI's decision to investigate the shooting as possible domestic terrorism and an anti-Catholic hate crime, but investigators did not reduce the attack to a single unqualified explanation immediately after the shooting.
Additional background on the attacker's history and the evidence examined by investigators is available in the previously published News Fusion 365 report, Minnesota School Shooting: Inside Robin Westman's Disturbing Path to Violence at Former Catholic School.
Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski
The deaths of Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski became the focus of mourning across Minneapolis and beyond. Fletcher was 8 years old, not 7 as some early accounts stated, while Harper was 10.
Fletcher's family remembered him as an energetic child who loved fishing, sports, family and friends. Hundreds of people later attended his funeral in Minneapolis. Harper's family described her as bright, joyful and deeply loved by the people around her.
In the year after the shooting, the Annunciation community continued to honor both children. For the first anniversary on August 27, 2026, the parish encouraged churches to ring bells and residents to place two lights or candles in their windows in memory of Fletcher and Harper. The City of Minneapolis also recognized Annunciation Remembrance Day and highlighted support resources for survivors and families.
Students and Adults Faced Gunfire During Mass
The attack occurred while children, teachers and other worshippers were gathered inside the church. Because the shooter fired from outside through stained-glass windows, people inside had little warning before the gunfire began.
Accounts from survivors described children taking cover under pews while students and adults tried to protect one another. One widely reported account involved a child who was wounded while shielding another student.
Police officers and emergency medical personnel reached the church quickly and began treating victims and organizing reunification for families. The response involved Minneapolis police, fire and emergency-management personnel along with county, state and federal agencies.
How the Injury Count Changed After the Initial Reports
The numbers reported on August 27 reflected information available during an active emergency. Authorities initially announced that 14 children and three adults had been injured, in addition to the two children who were killed.
Later medical and investigative reviews identified more victims. Minneapolis eventually recorded 31 victims connected to the attack: two children killed by gunfire, 26 children and three adults wounded by gunfire, and one additional person injured through another mechanism.
This later count does not mean the initial official statements were fabricated or necessarily incorrect when issued. Casualty figures after mass-violence incidents commonly change as patients seek treatment, hospitals confirm injuries and investigators reconcile records.
Community Response and Support for Survivors
The attack prompted vigils, memorial services and fundraising efforts throughout the Twin Cities. Religious leaders and public officials expressed condolences, while Annunciation families asked for space to grieve and recover.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement on the day of the shooting calling for prayer, protection and healing for the Annunciation community. The parish and local organizations also established longer-term support efforts for survivors and affected families.
Resources were organized for medical expenses, counseling, funeral costs and other needs. Information about ways to support affected families was also published by CBS News Minnesota and local community organizations.
Security Questions for Schools and Places of Worship
The shooting renewed discussion about security at schools and houses of worship, where administrators must balance accessibility with protection against violence. The circumstances at Annunciation were particularly difficult because the attacker remained outside the church and fired through windows rather than entering through a controlled doorway.
That detail matters when considering potential security responses. Locked entrances, visitor screening and access controls can reduce some risks, but they cannot eliminate attacks launched from outside a building. Schools and religious institutions also rely on emergency planning, communications, training and coordination with local law enforcement.
The attack prompted broader discussions among Catholic schools and other faith communities about emergency preparedness and the protection of children during worship services and large gatherings.
Political and Legislative Responses
The shooting also intensified an existing political debate in Minnesota over firearm laws. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other city officials called for additional gun restrictions, including state action involving semiautomatic rifles and high-capacity magazines. Gun-rights advocates have opposed many such proposals, arguing that restrictions on commonly owned firearms burden lawful gun owners and may not prevent determined attackers.
In September 2025, the Minneapolis City Council adopted a resolution calling on the Minnesota Legislature to prohibit certain rifles and high-capacity magazines, require safe firearm storage and give local governments greater authority to enact firearm regulations. The resolution itself did not change Minnesota law; it formally urged state lawmakers to act.
The tragedy also prompted discussions about school security, threat assessment, mental-health intervention and ways to identify people moving toward violence. None of those debates produced a single agreed explanation or solution for the attack.
What the FBI Classification Did — and Did Not — Mean
The FBI's announcement that it was investigating the shooting as domestic terrorism and an anti-Catholic hate crime was significant because it identified the federal investigative framework being applied to the evidence.
It did not mean that Westman had been formally charged or convicted of federal terrorism or hate-crime offenses. Because Westman died by suicide immediately after the attack, there could be no criminal prosecution of the shooter. Claims that Westman might later face life imprisonment or the death penalty were therefore incorrect.
For investigators, the remaining work involved reconstructing the attack, determining the extent of planning, examining the shooter's communications and possessions, tracing the firearms, assessing whether anyone else had advance knowledge, and documenting the motive as fully as the evidence allowed.
One Year Later: Minneapolis Continued to Remember
By August 2026, the focus in Minneapolis had shifted from the immediate investigation toward remembrance and long-term recovery. City officials said the Annunciation community remained in the process of healing, and the parish asked that the anniversary center on Fletcher and Harper rather than the attacker.
The city's anniversary information described a community effort built around remembrance, service and support for survivors. Minneapolis also continued to provide links to trauma resources, crime-victim reimbursement programs and crisis services for people affected by the shooting.
The attack remains one of the most traumatic episodes in the history of the Annunciation community. The verified record shows two children killed, dozens of people injured, an attacker who died at the scene, and a federal investigation that treated possible anti-Catholic bias and domestic terrorism as central lines of inquiry.
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