FBI probes Minneapolis school shooting as anti-Catholic hate crime

"The FBI is investigating this shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics," FBI Director Kash Patel said in a post on X, News.Az reports, citing BBC.

The two children, aged 8 and 10, were killed when an attacker opened fire through the windows of the city's Annunciation Church on Wednesday morning as children were celebrating Mass.

The attacker, who died at the scene of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was later named by police as 23-year-old Robin Westman.

Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, was among those who paid tribute to the young victims, saying he was "profoundly saddened" by the attack.

Police Chief Brian O'Hara told reporters: "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," he said.

Asked about Patel's comment, he said the Minneapolis Police Department is leading the investigation with support from federal agencies - and will pursue evidence wherever it leads.

Authorities have not yet released a suspected motive for the attack.

Police began receiving calls of a shooting just before 08:00 local time (14:00BST) on Wednesday.

The attacker approached the side of the church, which also houses a school, and fired dozens of shots through the windows using three firearms - a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol. Police also found a smoke bomb at the scene.

Officials are investigating if he shot inside the building or if all the shots came from outside the church, noting that no casings from bullets were found inside.