Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Thursday that the practice of locking the doors when morning Mass begins at Annunciation Catholic Church likely prevented further tragedy Wednesday when shooter Robin Westman was forced to fire from outside.
“Due to the procedures that the school had in place, that the church had in place, after the Mass had begun, the doors to the church were locked,” O’Hara told NBC’s “Today.” “This coward had to fire from outside of the church through the church windows and into the church, and we believe him not being able to get into the church likely saved countless lives.”
Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed and 15 others were injured — ranging in age from 6 to 15 — along with three adults in their 80s.
O’Hara said five victims had been released from the hospital. He reiterated that there was a “wide range” of injuries, from graze wounds to “some very, very serious.”
Some wounds thought to be life-threatening in the moment, he said, caused them to brace for what, “thank God, has not come to pass ... additional deaths of children.”
O’Hara said four search warrants executed at multiple residences have yielded “hundreds” of pieces of evidence, including additional writings.
“Everything that we’ve seen so far is really a classic pathway to an active shooter,” the chief said, “and we’ve seen a whole lot of hate against a whole variety of people in what we have seen so far, but nothing specific to point to as the motive for targeting this church in this particular incident.”
