MINNEAPOLIS — Authorities have identified the gunman behind Wednesday’s Annunciation Catholic Church attack as Robin Westman, 22, of Minneapolis. Police say Westman, who lived just 2.5 miles from the church and did not have an extensive criminal record, died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound

.

The shooting, which unfolded during a morning Mass at Annunciation Catholic School, left three people dead and 20 others injured, most of them children. Witnesses described the horror as the attacker fired through church windows, striking students and parishioners gathered in prayer.

Police Chief Brian O’Hara called the assault “a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and worshippers” and said investigators are now focused on uncovering a motive. “The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible,” O’Hara said.

Authorities are reviewing the suspect’s digital footprint after reports surfaced of disturbing online activity leading up to the attack. Officials stressed that the motive remains under investigation.

The tragedy has shaken the Minneapolis community and drawn responses from local and national leaders, with Governor Tim Walz calling the violence “horrific” and urging unity in the wake of heartbreak.

Counselors and crisis teams are being made available to students, families, and staff affected by the devastating attack.