Update: 2 Children Killed, 17 Wounded in Mass Shooting at Minneapolis Church

Minneapolis, MN (MinnesotaNow)- Two children were killed in a mass shooting at a Minneapolis church Wednesday morning. 

See Also: Homeless Man Charged for Hammer Assault at Rochester Park

Officials during a news conference also said the suspected gunman is dead and that 17 people were injured. 

Wednesday's deadly mass shooting occurred at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. The school shares a block with a church along West 54th St. in South Minneapolis. 

Two Children, Ages 8 & 10, Killed in Mass Shooting That Wounded More Than a Dozen Students at Minneapolis Catholic School

During the news conference, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the children killed are eight and 10. He said they died where they sat in the church’s pews and their parents have been notified. 

Of the 17 injured, O’Hara said 14 were children. Two of the children are described to be in critical condition. 

“The coward who fired these shots ultimately took his own life in the back of the church,” O’Hara said.

The gunman was armed with a rifle and handgun, walked around the side of the church’s sanctuary and fired through the window as the children were sitting the pews for a Mass that started at 8:15 Wednesday morning, O’Hara told reporters. 

The Minneapolis Police Chief described the gunman as a man in his 20’s and said he did not have an extensive criminal background. Police are looking into a motive. 

The Rochester Police Department also extended its condolences to the victims of the tragedy and said, “Our SROs & patrol officers continue to serve as a steady presence in our schools & community. We have also increased uniformed patrols around schools in light of today's events.”

President Donald Trump, Gov. Tim Walz, Sen. Tina Smith and Sen. Amy Klobuchar are among leaders who have issued statements about the tragic killings. 

The mass shooting is the fourth deadly shooting to occur in under 24 hours in Minneapolis. Three people were killed and eight were wounded in three shootings in under 13 hours in Minnesota's largest city.