Witnesses to a mass shooting in the US city of Minneapolis have described the terrifying scenes after an attacker opened fire on a church in which children were celebrating Mass on Wednesday morning.
One young boy described being protected by a friend who got hit himself.
Two children were killed and 17 others injured in an incident that the FBI is treating as an anti-Catholic hate crime.
The attacker, named as 23-year-old Robin Westman, died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities have not yet given a suspected motive.
Westman was a former pupil of the school adjacent to the church, along with ties to the community, raising further questions about the motives behind the attack.
The young survivor, 10-year-old Weston Halsne, explained to CBS affiliate station WCCO that his friend saved him from bullets by lying on top of him. I was like two seats away from the stained glass window, he said. My friend, Victor, saved me though, because he laid on top of me, but he got hit. Weston expressed his fear for his friend's wellbeing but was relieved he was recovering.
The assailant approached the Annunciation Church, which houses a school, and fired dozens of shots through the windows using three firearms. Witnesses reported confusion, initially mistaking the sound for construction noise before realizing it was a shooting. Many described children's horrific experiences as they fled the scene.
Hundreds attended a vigil for the victims, with community leaders and state officials emphasizing the need for action against gun violence. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, echoing the sentiments of residents, remarked on the tragedy being an all too common occurrence.
The incident has sparked debates around gun control, community safety, and the impact of such violence on schools and religious institutions.
