Minneapolis Catholic school: Three dead, 20 hurt in shooting

WASHINGTON: Three people were dead and 20 injured in a shooting at a Catholic school in the south end of Minneapolis on Wednesday, a US Justice Department official said.

The shooter was among those killed, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The shooting occurred two days after school started at Annunciation Catholic school, a private elementary school with about 395 students. The school is connected to Annunciation Catholic Church, and both are located in a residential area in the southeast part of Minnesota’s largest city.

Police in Richfield, a nearby suburb, said a man dressed all in black with a rifle was reported at the scene. A news conference is expected around 10:30 Central time, according to local TV.

Children were at a morning mass when shooting began, local media reported.

Local TV showed parents ducking under yellow police crime tape and leading students out of the school. The students wore green polo shirts and blue shorts and skirts.

US President Donald Trump said he had been briefed on the shooting and said the FBI was on the scene. “Please join me in praying for everyone involved!” he said on social media. The Department of Homeland Security is in touch with local authorities and monitoring the situation, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on social media.

There have been three other shootings in the midwestern city since Tuesday afternoon that have together left three people dead and seven wounded, according to police.