When asked about the suspect, Police Chief Brian O’Hara says: “We believe it is one suspect, a sole shooter … in his early 20s, he does not have a known criminal history. We are looking through information left behind to try and determine some type of motive.

He says he does not have any information on whether he was a former student or employee.

Chief of Police Brian O’Hara says at press conference that the city has experienced an “unthinkable tragedy.”

“During the Mass, a gunman approached the building on the outside and began firing a rifle … shooting through the windows he struck children and worshippers that were inside the building. The shooter was armed with a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol.

“Two young children, ages 8 and 10, were killed where they sat in the pews. Their parents have been notified.

“This deliberate act of violence is a sign of cruelty that is beyond comprehension. Our hearts our broken for everyone that has been affected by this tragedy.”

Media reports said at least two individuals had been killed at the shooting, with numerous injuries reported.

Annunciation School, which serves Pre-K through eighth grade, was founded in 1923, a year after the parish of the same name began serving the Windom neighborhood in southwestern Minneapolis.

The school has 369 students and an average class size of 18 students, according to Private School Review, a website that tracks schools. (The school’s website was down as of late morning Wednesday, Aug. 27.)

The school is at 525 West 54th Street, just west of Annunciation Church, which is at 509 West 54th Street.

Mass shooting events at Catholic churches in the U.S. are exceedingly rare. Notably, on June 10, 2002, a 71-year-old gunman entered Conception Abbey in rural Conception, Missouri, and opened fire, killing three monks before taking his own life. The motive for that shooting remains unclear.

Auxiliary Bishop Kevin Kenneyt’s remarks to KSTP 5 News:

“Horrific. Unbelievable that this could happen. It’s very sad for the community. It’s very sad for the families that have lost loved ones.

“I’ve talked to a few [parents] whose children are in surgery. They’re panicking, of course. They’re in shock. They’re worried.

“It was the opening school Mass, is my understanding. It’s a horrible, horrific way for all the students to begin the school year.”