Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara told the press that the shooter, who remains unnamed, was in his early 20s and armed with a rifle, shotgun and a pistol.

The suspect shot his rifle through the church windows toward the children sitting in the pews inside, before ultimately taking his own life behind the church, O'Hara said. Police believe all or most of the shooting was done from the outside since they did not find any casings inside the church. A smoke bomb was also found on the scene, but there were no explosives, authorities added.

The police believe the gunman acted alone and are still working to determine a motive. O'Hara said the suspect did not have an extensive known criminal history.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said that two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed "in the pews" of Annunciation Catholic church during Wednesday's shooting and that 17 others were injured.

Fourteen of those who were injured are children, O'Hara said. Two are in critical condition.

This was a "deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshipping," O'Hara said. "The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is incomprehensible."

O'Hara confirmed that the gunman took his own life.

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey urged Americans on Wednesday to think of the children who were killed and injured in the shooting at Annunciation Catholic School "as if they were your own."

"Don't just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now," Frey said during a press conference. "These kids were literally praying."

Students at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, which serves grades pre-K through 8, had just returned to school from summer break two days before Wednesday’s shooting.

“Happy first day of school!” read a celebratory post on Annuniciation’s Instagram page. “It was great having everyone back in the building today.”

A carousel of images showed smiling students gathered on the school’s grounds and in its auditorium.

Annunciation Catholic School was established in 1923. More than 430 students, ages 4 to 14, attend school the school.

At least two local hospitals have confirmed that they are treating children who were shot this morning at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis.

Children’s Minnesota, a pediatric trauma hospital, said in a statement that five children had been admitted for care.

“Children’s Minnesota is aware of the recent tragic shooting in Minneapolis," the hospital said. "Our teams are trained to respond in times of crisis and are fully prepared to care for impacted children. Currently, five children are admitted to our hospital for care. We will not share more details to respect the privacy of our patients and families.”

Hennepin Healthcare, which has Minnesota’s largest emergency department, said it was also caring for patients from the shooting.

Minnesota Sen. Tina Smith said in a post on X that she and her staff were monitoring the situation.

"I'm grateful for the quick response of law enforcement as we continue to gather information," she said. "It's the first week of school. These kids should not be fearing for their lives."

The Annunciation Catholic School welcomed its students back for the new academic year on Monday.

The Annunciation Catholic School is located in South Minneapolis at 525 W. 54th St., which is where police have set up a reunification zone for families to reunite with students. The active police situation is at Annunciation Church, which is at 509 W. 54th St. and remains blocked off as authorities assess the situation.

Minneapolis police will hold a press conference on the shooting at 10:30 a.m., city officials said.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar told MSNBC Wednesday morning that the daughter of one of her longtime staffers witnessed today's school shooting at Annunciation Catholic church and school in Minneapolis.

Calling it a “horrific, tragic act of violence," Klobuchar said the shooting took place during "All-School Mass" shortly after 8:15 a.m. local time.

"These kids all saw it happen," she said. "They were all in that church."

The senator went on to say that she had spoken to her staffer, whose daughter is currently in seventh grade.

"She had to watch several of her friends get shot — one in the back and one in the neck," Klobuchar said. "And they all got down under the pews and she — her daughter, of course, was not shot — but her daughter ended up being the one to tell one of the dads of one of the other kids that his daughter had been shot."

ABC News is reporting that "at least two people were killed and more than a dozen were hurt" during Wednesday morning's shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis.

The Minneapolis Police Department has set up a reunification zone for families at the Annunciation School. A Facebook post said the exact address is 525 W. 54th St.

While authorities said the shooter is contained and there is no active threat, the police advised families to stay away from Annunciation Church, located at 509 W. 54th St, between Lyndale and Nicollet Ave.

"The public is advised to stay away from the area to allow emergency personnel to help victims," the department said.

The suspect in Wednesday's Minneapolis school shooting is "believed to be deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound," according to ABC News.

CNN is also reporting that the shooter has killed himself, citing "two law enforcement officials familiar with the matter."

Authorities in Minneapolis had previously said the suspect had been "contained" and was no longer an active threat to the community.

In the hours prior to Wednesday's shooting at Annunciation Church, there had been three other deadly shootings in Minneapolis, according to the city's police department.

"The level of gun violence across the city within the last day is deeply unsettling," the Minneapolis Police Department said in a news release. "Across three separate multiple-victim shootings, eight people have been injured by gunfire and three have lost their lives."

One person was killed and six others were hurt in a shooting Tuesday afternoon outside a high school. Hours later, two people died in two other shootings in the city.

President Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he has been "fully briefed on the tragic shooting in Minneapolis."

"The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene," he said. "The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!"

Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said on X that he is "monitoring reports of horrific violence in South Minneapolis."

"We will share more information as soon as we can," he wrote. "Please give our officers the space they need to respond to the situation."

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said on X that he was briefed on the shooting and confirmed the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and State Patrol were on the scene.

"I'm praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence," he said.

The city of Minneapolis has announced that there is "no active threat to the community at this time" and that "the shooter is contained."