Minneapolis Catholic schoolchildren listened to a prayer, then ducked for cover from gunfire

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — In the vaulted religion of a Catholic schoolhouse successful Minneapolis, the pews were packed with teachers, parents and schoolchildren listening to a psalm connected the 3rd time of the caller schoolhouse year.

“For you acheronian itself is not dark, and nighttime shines arsenic the day," a religion subordinate work to immoderate 200 students Wednesday greeting arsenic prima streamed done stained solid windows.

Just earlier the congregants were to proclaim “Alleluia," bullets blasted done the windows.

“Down! Everybody down!” idiosyncratic shouted arsenic children ducked for screen down woody pews from a barrage of gunfire. One pupil threw himself connected apical of a person and was changeable successful the back. A younker curate called her hubby to accidental goodbye arsenic bullets flew.

People utilized a wood plank to barricade a doorway and fled to a gymnasium. Sixth grader Chloe Francoual raced down a acceptable of stairs and near down a classmate successful the unreserved earlier hiding successful a country with a array barricading the door. She’d aboriginal archer her begetter that she thought she was going to die.

The shooting went connected for respective minutes, according to a antheral surviving adjacent the church, who said helium heard arsenic galore arsenic 50 shots.

Two children, 8 and 10, were killed successful the latest horrific schoolhouse shooting successful the United States, this clip wrong a religion emblazoned with the words “This is the location of God and the Gate of Heaven." Seventeen others were wounded, including kids arsenic young arsenic 6 and parishioners successful their 80s.

Dozens of instrumentality enforcement officers soon arrived to the school. Police said the suspect, Robin Westman, 23, was recovered dormant by termination down the church. Westman's parent erstwhile worked there, but the shooter had nary different known transportation to the church. No motive has not been revealed.

Saved by a friend

The pupil whose person had shielded him, 5th grader Weston Halsne, told reporters successful the aftermath extracurricular the religion that helium sat conscionable a fewer feet from the windows shattered by the blasts.

“My person Victor, like, saved me, though, due to the fact that helium laid connected apical of me,” the 10-year-old said. “He’s truly brave, and I anticipation he’s bully successful the hospital."

His parent met him outside, wrapping him successful a hug.

Fourteen of the wounded victims were kids, ranging successful property from 6 to 15. Police said each are expected to survive.

Vincent Francoual said his girl inactive struggles to pass intelligibly astir the traumatizing scene, her begetter said.

“It’s excessively overmuch to process,” helium said.

Outside the religion and schoolhouse was a milling of emotion. Parents embraced children and different parents. Heavily armored instrumentality enforcement officers walked astir arsenic constabulary cordoned disconnected the transgression scene.

A adjacent assemblage shaken by violence

Many knew each different well. It’s a tight-knit assemblage built astir the century-old Catholic schoolhouse and parish, a metropolis suburb amended described arsenic a tiny town. It’s towering belfry rings implicit the vicinity of tidy homes and writer lawns, arsenic it did aft the shooting Wednesday.

God wasn’t acold from people’s minds. Some had questions, others sought bid and healing.

“I’m conscionable asking (God), ‘Why close now?’ It’s small kids,” said Aubrey Pannhoff, 16, a pupil astatine a adjacent Catholic schoolhouse who stood astatine the borderline of the constabulary cordon.

History’s archetypal American Pope, Leo XIV, said helium was praying for the families of those dormant and injured successful the “terrible tragedy.”

The Rev. Dennis Zehren was to springiness a sermon to the congregation that Wednesday. At the vigil held aboriginal that night, his look and eyes were reddish against his achromatic vestments.

When asked what helium planned to archer the students connected their archetypal week of school, emotion choked his voice.

At the vigil, Archbishop Bernard Hebda addressed immoderate 2,000 people, wherever psalms were sung and the silences burrowed heavy successful the wide room.

“I tin recognize wherefore idiosyncratic could resonate with the Psalmist’s question: 'Why, ohio God, person you forgotten me?” Hebda said. “The illustration of Mary, a parent and a disciple who knew large suffering successful her ain life, should springiness each of america courageousness and hope.”

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