U.S. Secretary of Education Linda McMahon is visiting Renaissance High School in Detroit on Monday, raising alarms among teachers who say the Trump administration’s education agenda threatens the future of public schools. McMahon, the former World Wrestling Entertainment executive whom President Donald Trump tasked with dismantling the U.S. Department of Education, is on a 50-state […]
A Detroit Montessori school is asking a Wayne County judge to immediately halt construction of a Chick-fil-A restaurant next door, arguing developers violated zoning laws and endangered children by building just feet from its playground. The Giving Tree Montessori, which serves 116 children from infancy through kindergarten, filed an emergency motion last week, accusing Verus […]
Reporting by Steve Karnowski and Mark Vancleave, Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A gunman opened fire with a rifle through the windows of a Catholic church and struck a group of children celebrating Mass during the first week of school, killing two and wounding 17 in an act of violence the police chief called “absolutely incomprehensible.”
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the shooter — armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol — approached the side of the church and shot through the windows toward the children sitting in the pews during Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School.
O’Hara said the shooting suspect is dead and in his early 20s and does not have an extensive known criminal history. Officials are looking into his motive.
“This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshipping. The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible,” said the police chief, who noted that a wooden plank was placed to barricade some of the side doors.
The children who died were 8 and 10, he said.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called the violence “horrific” in a social media post.
Children’s Minnesota, a pediatric trauma hospital, said in a statement five children were admitted for care. Hennepin Healthcare, which has Minnesota’s largest emergency department, said it also was caring for patients from the shooting.
Bill Bienemann, who lives a couple of blocks away and has long attended Mass at Annunciation Church, said he heard dozens of shots, perhaps as many as 50, over as long as four minutes.
“I was shocked. I said, ‘There’s no way that could be gunfire,’” he said. “There was so much of it. It was sporadic.”
Bienemann’s daughter, Alexandra, said she attended the school from kindergarten to 8th grade, finishing in 2014. After she heard of the shooting, she said she was shaking and crying, and her boss told her to take the day off.
Law enforcement officers gather outside the Annunciation Church’s school in response to a reported mass shooting, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Bruce Kluckhohn)
“It breaks my heart, makes me sick to my stomach, knowing that there are people I know who are either injured or maybe even killed,” Alexandra Bienemann said. “It doesn’t make me feel safe at all in this community that I have been in for so long.”
The school was evacuated, and students’ families later were directed to a “reunification zone” at the school. Outside, amid a heavy uniformed law enforcement presence, were uniformed children in their dark green shirts or dresses. Many were trickling out of the school with adults, giving lingering hugs and wiping away tears.
Local, state, county and federal law enforcement officers and agents converged on the area, a leafy residential and commercial neighborhood about 5 miles (8 kilometers) south of downtown Minneapolis. On Truth Social, President Donald Trump said he was briefed on the “tragic shooting” and that the White House would continue to monitor it.
A person walks out of the Annunciation Church’s school as police response to a reported mass shooting, Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Dating to 1923, the pre-kindergarten through eighth grade school had an all-school Mass scheduled at 8:15 a.m. Wednesday morning, according to its website. Monday was the first day of school. Recent social media posts from the school show children smiling at a back-to-school event, holding up summer art projects, playing together and enjoying ice pops.
At a meeting of Democratic officials elsewhere in Minneapolis, Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin noted the shooting and “unknown amount of victims.”
The gunfire was the latest in a series of fatal shootings in the city in less than 24 hours. One person was killed and six others were hurt in a shooting Tuesday afternoon outside a high school in Minneapolis. Hours later, two people died in two other shootings in the city.
Wednesday’s school shooting also followed a spate of hoax calls about purported shootings on at least a dozen U.S. college campuses. The bogus warnings, sometimes featuring gunshot sounds in the background, prompted universities to issue texts to “run, hide, fight” and frightened students around the nation as the school year begins.
Students and parents await news during a mass shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP)
Associated Press writers Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa; Jennifer Peltz in New York; Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota; and Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Maryland; contributed to this report.
Looking for something fun to do this week? Metro Detroit is packed with free festivals, family activities, and cultural events — from art fairs and workshops to live music and delicious food.
*General museum admission is FREE for residents of Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb counties.
Many people doodle as a fun, spontaneous way to express ideas. Grab some drawing materials and see where your creativity takes you! Event time varies; check the website for details.
Tickets start at $7 online. Military free with proper ID.
Get ready for a weekend of flavor and fun at the Novi Taco Fest! Enjoy authentic Mexican-American dishes, sip refreshing margaritas, and celebrate Hispanic culture with live music and entertainment all around.
The Motown Museum and Enjoy Detroit are hosting a Back to School Jam with free school supplies, live performances by local artists and Lyric Project singer-songwriters, giveaways, and family fun. Supplies are limited, so come early to enjoy the music, treats, and positive vibes to kick off the school year.
This weekend, celebrate the powerful work of Shakespeare in Prison at the Alumni Performance at Detroit Public Theatre. Experience stories of resilience, creativity, and community as former ensemble members share their voices on stage.
The Hazel Park Art Fair is back! Free and family-friendly in Green Acres Park with local art, live performances, tasty eats, and a craft beer tent. Don’t miss this celebration of creativity in Hazel Park!
ACCESS will host its 10th Back to School Fair on Aug. 12 from noon to 3 p.m. The Arab American–based nonprofit focuses on community service, cultural and social entrepreneurship, healthy lifestyles, education, and philanthropy.
During the event, the organization will distribute free backpacks and school supplies. There will also be face painting, henna art, games, activities, and more.
The ACCESS Mobile Health Unit and Wayne State Mobile Health Unit will be on site to provide free health screenings, flu shots, and other health-related services.
Detroit poet laureate jessica Care moore named Academy of American Poets fellow
Detroit’s poet laureate jessica Care moore is among 24 poet laureates nationwide who have been named fellows by the Academy of American Poets. The fellowship includes a shared $1.1 million award to support community projects.
It recognizes literary excellence and supports poets in creating initiatives that engage communities through poetry. Moore, in partnership with The LOVE Building, plans to launch a literacy initiative in several Detroit neighborhoods. The project will include intergenerational workshops to share the stories of longtime and new Detroit residents.
Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park to open Oct. 25 on the Detroit Riverwalk
Ralph C. Wilson Jr. Centennial Park will open Oct. 25 along the Detroit Riverwalk. The annual Detroit Harvest Fest will be part of the debut of the 22-acre park, which will also feature live entertainment and food trucks.
The park honors the legacy of the late Ralph C. Wilson Jr., a philanthropist, entrepreneur, and veteran.
The Summer Bliss Music & Art Festival takes place this weekend at Tangent Gallery in Detroit. The event celebrates creativity, community, and connection, featuring DJs, local artists, and more.
The Detroit Tigers face off against the Los Angeles Angels at Comerica Park as part of their three-game weekend series. The Tigers, who lead the American League Central Division, lost back-to-back games against the Minnesota Twins and look to bounce back. First pitch for tonight’s game is at 7:10 p.m.
Detroit City FC will play against Indy Eleven tomorrow at Keyworth Stadium. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
The Detroit Lions take on the Atlanta Falcons in a preseason game tonight at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Game time is 7 p.m.
Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.
The Michigan Court of Appeals is allowing a case filed by the family of a murdered Oxford High School student to move forward.
The family of Hana St. Juliana alleges the Michigan State Police failed to fulfill a legal obligation to act on information that could have averted the 2021 mass shooting.
The case never made it to the argument stage in the Michigan Court of Claims. The judge ruled the family missed the deadline to notify the state of its plans to file a wrongful death lawsuit within six months of the shooting.
But, in a unanimous opinion released Friday, a three-judge Court of Appeals panel reversed that decision. The court said that clock did not start until a probate judge named St. Juliana’s father as the personal representative of her estate.
“The state of Michigan attempted to use a technicality to deprive our clients of their day in court and we are pleased that the Court of Appeals saw past that and is going to allow this case to proceed,” said Kevin Carlson, the attorney for the St. Juliana family.
The complaint outlines reports of concerning behavior by the shooter that were submitted to the Michigan OK2Say tipline,which serves as a central location to report crimes, threats and concerns regarding schools and students. It says the Michigan State Police failed to live up to its responsibilities to investigate reports submitted through that system. It also says a school official and an Oakland County deputy sheriff dismissed the concerns.
Carlson said the 2013 law that set up OK2Say puts the final legal responsibility to check on those tips with the state.
“The question in this case, and the focal point of this lawsuit, is going to be why did the Michigan State Police not intervene to prevent the shooting at Oxford High School?” he told Michigan Public Radio.
The Michigan State Police did not respond to a message seeking comment. The state could appeal the decision to the Michigan Supreme Court.
St. Juliana and three classmates were killed in the November 30, 2021, mass shooting. Seven others were injured.
Carlson said unless the state appeals, his next step is to seek unredacted versions of police reports related to the shooting.
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WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
The Oxford High School shooter has asked the Michigan Supreme Court to order a new hearing before a judge to reduce his sentence of life with no chance of parole.
The shooter’s new legal team says his previous counsel failed to take crucial steps to protect his interests before the then-16-year-old pleaded guilty to multiple counts of murder, terrorism, assault, and firearm violations. Four students were killed and seven people were injured in the mass shooting.
The shooter’s new lawyers from the State Appellate Defender Office (SADO) argue that at a minimum a new judge should hear expert testimony on fetal alcohol syndrome, a troubled home life and other mitigating factors before imposing a new sentence.
“Though his offense is heinous, how our courts treat even those who have committed the most heinous crimes matters deeply,” said the brief arguing for the Supreme Court to hear Ethan Crumbley’s case. “The tragic nature of Ethan’s crime cannot give courts an excuse to overlook errors that occurred in his legal proceedings. The circuit court did more than overlook these errors. It blithely and repeatedly found that nothing could or would make a difference in the sentence imposed – death in prison, for someone 15 years old at the time of their offense.”
SADO attorney Jacqueline Ouvry said this appeal is not about relitigating the convictions, but requiring the court to consider “mitigating factors” that should have been part of the sentencing decision. Ouvry said that would align with court precedents that require unique considerations for younger defendants, even those charged as adults with violent offenses.
“They involve chronological age, which includes brain development,” she told Michigan Public Radio. “They involve the family and home environment a child grew up in, and the possibility of rehabilitation.”
“Ethan was 15 when he committed his offense,” she said. “He was very much a youth at the time.”
Ouvry said the case is also relevant because there are other defendants convicted as teens or young adults in state custody who are entitled to new sentences under court rulings.
“It matters how we sentence those who have done even the most heinous crimes and there are several hundred people in Michigan who because of recent court decisions will be resentenced for heinous crimes,” she said.
The Michigan Court of Appeals declined to reconsider the sentence in May, and a spokesperson for Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald’s office said the Supreme Court should let that be the final word.
“The facts are undisputed: On November 30, 2021, the shooter murdered Madisyn Baldwin, Tate Myre, Hana St. Juliana, and Justin Shilling, wounded seven others, and terrorized an entire community,” said Public Information Officer Jeff Wattrick in an email to Michigan Public Radio. “We are confident the Supreme Court will concur with the lower courts and uphold his sentence.”
The shooter’s parents are serving prison terms for manslaughter convictions. They were charged with failing to act on signs their son’s mental condition was deteriorating and for failing to secure the semi-automatic firearm used in the shootings.
The Michigan Supreme Court refused to dismiss the charges in a 2023 decision that was the first time that allowed for parents to be held criminally liable for a school shooter’s actions.
Trusted, accurate, up-to-date.
WDET strives to make our journalism accessible to everyone. As a public media institution, we maintain our journalistic integrity through independent support from readers like you. If you value WDET as your source of news, music and conversation, please make a gift today.
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