Church, school at center of shooting is a south Minneapolis landmark

Annunciation Church has been a Catholic landmark in south Minneapolis for more than 100 years.

The complex on W. Diamond Lake Road just east of Lyndale Avenue includes the church and school, which serves kids in preschool through eighth grade.

Wednesday’s shooting comes just weeks before SeptemberFest, the church’s largest annual gathering. It’s unclear now when students will return to classes.

“As we process and navigate this unfathomable time together, we will be in touch this weekend regarding when school will resume,” read a statement from Principal Matthew DeBoer and the Rev. Dennis Zehren, pastor of the Church of the Annunciation. “Investigators and others are still on campus doing their essential work and we expect this to continue for some time.”

The statement said that two beloved students were killed and others were injured when a shooter began firing into the church from the outside during Mass.

“You need to know that within seconds, our heroic staff moved students under the pews,” the statement read. “Law enforcement responded quickly and evacuated all of our children and staff to safety in a matter of minutes when it was safe to do so.”

In a separate statement Wednesday, Archbishop Bernard Hebda expressed gratitude for the “many promises of prayers” — including from Pope Leo XIV — for the Annunciation parish and school. Hebda also called for an end to gun violence.

Annunciation Church held its first Mass in 1922. The following year, four Dominican Sisters opened the red-brick school to 72 students, according to the church’s website.

Church services were held in the school auditorium for decades until the current structure was built in 1962.

The school touts its commitment to academics, service and Catholic values. Monday marked the first day of classes, and a Facebook post featuring back-to-school photos of the students included the hashtag #AFutureFilledwithHope.

Enrollment has fluctuated over the years. It peaked at 1,100 students in the mid-1960s and has been on a downward trend in recent decades. Last school year, about 340 students were enrolled.

The school offers International Baccalaureate curriculum and daily religion classes. Each grade also completes an annual service project, according to the website.

Members of the Archdiocesan staff are working with the parish and school to support the community, Hebda wrote.

The statement continued: “That today’s tragedy occurred only a day after the tragic shooting near Christo Rey High School increases the sadness about the pain and anger that is present in our communities. We need an end to gun violence.”

Alexander Lori, 15, attended Annunciation school from preschool to eighth grade. The school, he recalled, was packed with passionate teachers who “made it fun to learn.”

“I enjoyed going into school every morning,” he said. “I was always trying to push my sister out the door just to get there.”

He called Wednesday’s shooting shocking.

In their statement, DeBoer and Zehren, the school’s principal and pastor, asked for continued prayers for the church and school community as it navigates an “impossible situation.”