Gun violence, Terrorism and senseless killings!!

[phkrause]

2 people dead in Texas shooting at a Target and suspect is detained, police say August 11, 2025 Police say two people were killed in a shooting at a Target store in Austin, Texas, and suspect has been detained. Austin police said in a post on the social platform X that the scene Monday is still active, and an investigation is ongoing.

Read more

[phkrause]

Shooting in a crowded New York club leaves 3 dead, 9 wounded

NEW YORK (AP) — A club shooting in the New York City borough of Brooklyn early Sunday left three people dead and nine others wounded in a year of record low gun violence in the city.

https://apnews.com/article/new-york-shooting-three-dead-7e1143b6869c1ee16ee316ffcf2b476b?

[phkrause]

Villanova University reports an active shooter on campus, tells students to barricade doors August 21, 2025 Police responded Thursday to a report of an active shooter on the campus of Villanova University, days before the start of classes.

Read more     Villanova says a report of a campus shooter was a ‘cruel hoax’ VILLANOVA, Pa. (AP) — False reports of active shooters at Villanova University and the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Thursday led to panic and temporary lockdowns at the two campuses as they kicked off their fall semesters. https://apnews.com/article/villanova-reported-shooting-campus-6de9876f4c8b698b13c2756f1619c300?

[phkrause]

A shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school kills 2 children, injures 17 people

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A shooter opened fire with a rifle Wednesday through the windows of a Catholic church in Minneapolis and struck children celebrating Mass during the first week of school, killing two and wounding 17 people in an act of violence the police chief called “absolutely incomprehensible.”

https://apnews.com/article/minneapolis-school-shooting-annunciation-0fb27d2c911fe63a9f04791b444f298f?

[phkrause]

Minneapolis horror

Annunciation Church in Minneapolis today. Photo: Torey Van Oot/Axios A shooter opened fire during morning Mass for a Catholic school in Minneapolis this morning, killing two children. 17 others were wounded, including 14 children, two in critical condition, writes Axios Twin Cities co-author Torey Van Oot. The big picture: The attack came at the end of a deadly 24 hours in Minneapolis, as police responded to three separate, unrelated fatal shootings that occurred since last night. What we know: Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said the shooter approached from the side of Annunciation Catholic Church during a service marking the first week of school and began firing into the windows. The assailant was armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol. They died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene. The slain children, ages 8 and 10, were sitting in the pews when they were shot, O'Hara said. Families and loved ones reunite outside the police barricades after today's shooting at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis. Photo: Ben Brewer/Reuters "The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible," O'Hara said at a press conference. "Don't just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now," said Mayor Jacob Frey. "These kids were literally praying." President Trump posted this morning that the White House was monitoring "this terrible situation": "Please join me in praying for everyone involved!" What's next: O'Hara said authorities are still investigating and searching for a potential motive. FBI Director Kash Patel posted that the FBI is investigating the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics. Get the latest.

[phkrause]

‘Deliberate act of violence’

A shooter fired on praying students through church windows, killing at least two children and injuring 17 others at a school in Minneapolis, officials say. The FBI is investigating the tragedy as an act of domestic terrorism. Follow live updates.

[phkrause]

?️ Horror in Minneapolis

A mom hugs her son after a shooting at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis. Photo: Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images As they prepared for the fall semester, leaders at Annunciation Catholic School in South Minneapolis settled on a theme for the year from Jeremiah 29: "A future filled with hope." But just three days into the school year, a spray of bullets through a stained glass window thrust them into every educator's — and parent's — worst nightmare, Axios Twin Cities' Torey Van Oot writes. What happened: Two young students were killed, and another 14 children and three adults were hurt, when a shooter opened fire during a morning Mass marking the start of school. The slain children, ages 8 and 10, were sitting in the pews when they were shot. The injured students ranged from ages 6 to 15, and the three adults were in their 80s. All are expected to survive. The shooter, identified by authorities as 23-year-old Robin Westman, approached Annunciation Catholic just before 8:30 a.m. and shot through the side windows of the church. The shooter was armed with a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol, and had purchased the weapons legally recently, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said. According to Dakota County Court records, the shooter's mother applied to have her child's name changed to Robin M. Westman because her child "identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification." That detail stirred hateful online posts toward transgender people, which Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned: "Anybody who is using this as an opportunity to villainize our trans community, or any other community out there, has lost their sense of common humanity." A clergyman comforts a woman outside Annunciation Catholic Church yesterday. Photo: Renee Jones Schneider/The Minnesota Star Tribune via Getty Images Amid the heartbreak, there were stories of heroism. Weston Halsne, a fifth grader at the school, described to WCCO diving under the pews as bullets flew through the windows just feet away. He said a friend, who was shot, saved him by lying on top of him.

[phkrause]

Minneapolis School Attack

A shooter attacked a Catholic school in Minneapolis yesterday, killing two children—an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old—and wounding 17 other people, most of them children. Authorities say the attacker, 23-year-old Robin Westman, died by suicide.   Annunciation Catholic School serves children from preschool to eighth grade and had just begun its first week of school. Shortly before 8:30 am, the assailant fired dozens of rounds through the windows into the church where attendees gathered for Mass. The attack lasted roughly two minutes, according to witnesses; at least two doors were barricaded. Three weapons were discovered at the crime scene—a rifle, shotgun, and pistol—all of them legally purchased.   The shooter, who transitioned from male to female in 2019, had no prior criminal history and was reportedly a former student at the school. Officials have not publicly identified a motive; phrases including "Kill Donald Trump" were engraved on a rifle magazine. The FBI is investigating the attack as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime.

[phkrause]

Minneapolis school shooting

Investigators are working to understand what may have motivated a shooter to open fire on the Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis on Wednesday, killing two children. Three elderly parishioners and 14 other children were wounded in the attack. The shooter, who had no prior criminal history and died of a self-inflicted wound, posted a “manifesto” online that authorities are reviewing. According to a CNN analysis, it was the 44th school shooting in the US this year. After visiting the scene, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey issued a call to action. “This has happened in other countries and guess what, they do something about it. We gotta do something about it here,” he told CNN’s Erin Burnett. Frey’s message was echoed by Annunciation principal Matthew DeBoer: “We as a community have a responsibility to make sure that no child, no parent, no teacher ever has to experience what we’ve experienced today — ever again.” Several Democratic leaders have also renewed calls to address gun violence.

[phkrause]

Hundreds honor 2 children killed and 17 people wounded in shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school Just hours after a shooter opened fire through the windows of a Catholic church in Minneapolis, killing two children and wounding 17 people, hundreds crowded inside a nearby school’s gym, clutching one another and wiping away tears during a vigil alongside Gov. Tim Walz and clergy members. Read more.

What to know: FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that the shooting is being investigated as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.   Armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol, the 23-year-old suspect shot dozens of rounds Wednesday morning toward the children sitting in the pews during Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said at news conferences. The shooter then died by suicide, he said.   Investigators were examining a social media post that appeared to show the shooter at the scene. On a YouTube channel, the alleged shooter released at least two videos. In one, the alleged shooter shows a cache of weapons and ammunition, some with such phrases as “kill Donald Trump” and “Where is your God?” written on them.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ What we know about the shooter who killed 2 and wounded 17 in Minneapolis   Minneapolis Catholic schoolchildren listened to a prayer, then ducked for cover from gunfire   Uvalde school didn’t release most of its shooting-related documents but says it was a mistake

[phkrause]

Minneapolis school shooting

While the community grieves, authorities released the identities of the victims from Wednesday’s mass shooting at the Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis. Two children — 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski — were fatally shot in the attack. Fletcher’s father asked people to “remember Fletcher for the person he was, and not the act that ended his life.” Harper’s family expressed gratitude for the outpouring of support and called for change. “No family should ever have to endure this kind of pain,” her parents said in a statement. “We urge our leaders and communities to take meaningful steps to address gun violence and the mental health crisis in this country.” Three elderly parishioners and 15 other children were also wounded. As for the investigation, police continue to search for a motive.

[phkrause]

Police say Minneapolis church shooter was filled with hatred and admired mass killers The shooter who killed two Catholic school students and wounded more than a dozen youngsters sitting in the pews of a Minneapolis church once attended the same school and was “obsessed” with the idea of killing children, authorities said Thursday. Read more.

What to know: Family members described one of the victims, 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, as a boy who loved his family, fishing, cooking, and any sport he was allowed to play. The parents of the other victim, 10-year-old Harper Moyski, said in a statement that she was a bright and joyful child. “Our hearts are broken not only as parents, but also for Harper’s sister, who adored her big sister and is grieving an unimaginable loss,” said Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ Father of boy killed in Minneapolis church shooting: Remember his love, not the violence   Parents of students killed in Minneapolis church shooting share emotional pleas   Vance says ‘there is going to be a time for politics’ and talking about preventing mass shootings

[phkrause]

A student is dead after shooting 2 teens at his Colorado high school and then himself

DENVER (AP) — A student shot two of his peers Wednesday at a suburban Denver high school before shooting himself and later dying, authorities said.

https://apnews.com/article/colorado-high-school-shooting-evergreen-6ab8dd48ce8497c79174669f1c902e49?

[phkrause]

Radicalized 16-year-old Colorado school student fired revolver and wounded 2 teens, authorities say

DENVER (AP) — A 16-year-old boy who had been radicalized by an unspecified “extremist network” fired a revolver multiple times during an attack at a suburban Denver high school that wounded two students, authorities said Thursday.

https://apnews.com/article/colorado-high-school-shooting-3f4fc4338247a661874060e06cb16f43?

[phkrause]

Charlie Kirk’s Assassination Is Part of a Trend: Spiking Gun Violence in Red States

It’s not Washington or Chicago but Republican-run, reliably right-wing states that lead the nation in gun violence rates.

https://theintercept.com/2025/09/12/charlie-kirk-gun-violence-red-states/?

[phkrause]

Four ominous trends

Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios

Four concurrent trends suggest America's volatile politics, culture and security could worsen in the months ahead, Jim VandeHei and Mike Allen write in a "Behind the Curtain" column: With Charlie Kirk's slaying, we've witnessed more high-profile assassinations or assassination attempts in the past 14 months — including two assassination attempts on President Trump, the killing of a Democratic Minnesota lawmaker and an arson attack on the residence of Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) — than at any point since 1968, when the nation lost the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., then Robert F. Kennedy just two months later. School shootings — including one near Denver about the same time that Kirk was shot — continue to surge, from fewer than a dozen annually 20 years ago to 80+ annually for the past three years. Calls for violence and civil war are spreading across social media, amplifying the worst of humanity as Americans demonize each other for their political beliefs. An unprecedented online hunt is underway on conservative social media to name, shame and contact the employers of people who mocked or celebrated Kirk's slaying. Why it matters: It's hard to see how people cheering Kirk's killing, and others threatening retribution, ends well. ?️ The big picture: Five days after the assassination in Utah, the temperature in the country is still rising, Axios' Zachary Basu reports. A few Republicans — like the mild-mannered House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) and Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla.) — have called for unity and de-escalation. But many MAGA influencers have rejected that approach as weak and naive — declaring "war" on the political left, even as elected Democrats overwhelmingly have condemned Kirk's assassination. "They" killed Charlie, many conservatives allege, seeking to tie the gunman's actions to an amorphous enemy bloc of Democrats, the media and progressive activists. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox told NBC's "Meet the Press" that the suspect has shown a clearly "leftist ideology." Cox added: "I believe that social media has played a direct role in every single assassination and assassination attempt that we have seen over the last five, six years. There is no question in my mind. 'Cancer' probably isn't a strong enough word." Trump has done little to dial down the tension. "I'd like to see [the nation] heal," Trump told NBC News in a phone interview. "But we're dealing with a radical left group of lunatics, and they don't play fair and they never did." Trump and his allies have downplayed political violence against Democrats, including this summer's shootings of two Minnesota lawmakers and their spouses, which left a former state House speaker and her husband dead. Kari Lake, a MAGA hero and Trump administration official, said last night at a huge prayer vigil for Kirk at the Kennedy Center: "This violence has gotta stop. [Applause.] It's got to stop. And I'm not gonna say our side is perfect. But dammit, this is coming from the other side." ⬇️ Column continues below.

[phkrause]

? Part 2: What to watch

A moment of silence for Charlie Kirk was observed yesterday at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, before the Dallas Cowboys played the New York Giants. Photo: Jerome Miron/AP The White House, which has requested $58 million for additional security for the executive and judicial branches, is laying the groundwork for a potential crackdown on left-wing groups, Jim and Mike continue. President Trump last month vowed to prosecute liberal philanthropist George Soros for alleged racketeering, accusing him, without citing evidence, of funding violent protests. White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller told Fox News that in his last conversation with Charlie Kirk, the MAGA activist urged the administration to dismantle "radical left" organizations involved in "fomenting violence." FBI agents are examining leftist groups in Utah to see if they played a role in Kirk's assassination or in protecting the shooter, Axios' Marc Caputo reported Saturday. Investigators suspect the shooter might have targeted Kirk out of a belief that he was transphobic, sources tell Caputo. Prominent right-wing influencers are amplifying screenshots of anti-Kirk social posts along with names and employers, tagging companies directly and urging their followers to demand firings. Numerous employees have been fired or suspended. An anonymous website claims to be building a searchable database with more than 50,000 submissions — at one point branding it the "largest firing operation in history." Participants in the massive grassroots campaign dismiss accusations of right-wing "cancel culture," framing it as a moral test: If you cheer an assassination, your employer should know. Trump officials have embraced the effort: Several members of the military have already been fired after Secretary of War Pete Hegseth directed Pentagon staff to monitor social media posts. "These are radicalized people," Miller furiously declared on Fox News, citing examples of teachers, nurses and federal workers celebrating Kirk's death. "There is a domestic terrorist movement in this country." The backstory: After a decade of calling Trump and his supporters Hitler, Nazis and anti-democratic authoritarians bent on destroying America, Democrats now face questions about the degree to which their superheated rhetoric poisoned political discourse. "How did our nation get to a place where Charlie Kirk's assassin was writing, 'Hey fascist! Catch!' on a bullet?" conservative consultant Steven Guest wrote on X. "For years, Democrats have been calling President Donald Trump, Republicans, and conservatives 'fascists.'" Guest included a 3½-minute supercut video of Democrats saying just that. ? Between the lines: Beneath the partisan hostilities lies a deeper — and potentially graver — long-term threat to U.S. stability: the online radicalization of young men. Kirk's suspected killer, like many school shooters over the past several years, appears to have been steeped in online forums where extremist rhetoric and violent memes thrive. Many Gen Z men — who spend more time online than any generation before them — are battling a toxic blend of isolation, social and economic grievance, and constant exposure to extremist content. Last week, they were served nonstop graphic video showing the killings of Kirk and Iryna Zarutska, the Ukrainian refugee senselessly stabbed to death on a light-rail train in Charlotte, North Carolina. The bottom line: America's politicians, fixated on blaming the other side, appear blind to a generational crisis in the making.

[phkrause]

Prosecutors to seek death penalty

Charging document in the State of Utah v. Tyler James Robinson. Photo: Utah County Attorney's Office via Reuters Prosecutors filed murder charges today against Tyler Robinson, the man accused of killing Charlie Kirk. He could face the death penalty if he's convicted. He's also facing a gun charge that could carry life in prison and a charge of obstructing justice, with a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. Authorities released text messages in which Robinson appeared to confess to killing Kirk and discussed planning the shooting. "Why did I do it? I had enough of his hatred," the suspected shooter wrote to his roommate. The messages indicate that Robinson had been planning the shooting for a "bit over a week." Robinson's DNA was found on the rifle used in the shooting, authorities said. He texted about attempting to retrieve the weapon before he was caught: "I haven't seen anything about them finding it," he wrote. Go deeper ... Read the charging documents.

[phkrause]

More than a dozen injured in Minneapolis shootings at homeless camp and near transit station

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Eight people have been wounded, including four with critical injuries, in a shooting at a homeless camp on private property in Minneapolis, police said.

https://apnews.com/article/mass-shooting-minneapolis-homeless-encampment-bf7dc01d6c27de5198a46952d12119ac?

[phkrause]

Official identifies the suspect in the fatal shooting of 3 Pennsylvania police officers

NORTH CODORUS, Pa. (AP) — The man who fatally shot three Pennsylvania officers and injured two before he was killed by police has been identified as 24-year-old Matthew James Ruth, according to a law enforcement official.

https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-shooting-officers-killed-wounded-f3872f254eeb60ec9cfe1dbc4d0ce695?

Prosecutor says stalking suspect ambushed Pennsylvania police officers, killing 3

NORTH CODORUS, Pa. (AP) — A suspected stalker armed with a rifle hid inside his ex-girlfriend’s home in the rolling farmland of southern Pennsylvania and ambushed police officers who came to arrest him, killing three of them in a shootout, a prosecutor said Thursday.

https://apnews.com/article/pennsylvania-shooting-officers-killed-wounded-f3872f254eeb60ec9cfe1dbc4d0ce695?

[phkrause]

Patrons at New Hampshire country club shooting prevented worse tragedy with selfless acts, AG says

NASHUA, N.H. (AP) — Patrons at a restaurant acted quickly and selflessly to stop a gunman who opened fire while a wedding was taking place at a New Hampshire country club, averting a worse tragedy, authorities said Sunday.

https://apnews.com/article/new-hampshire-shooting-wedding-48f8ebef2f5200c0e3a186ec9bd2efa1?

Two people are dead and another 5 were injured in a shooting in Indianapolis, police say

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Two people were killed and another five were injured in a shooting Sunday in northwest Indianapolis, officials said.

https://apnews.com/article/indianapolis-fatal-shooting-two-killed-355543b98200406e35c54f950c5df141?

[phkrause]

A gunman is dead after opening fire on an Amazon facility in Georgia

COLUMBUS, Georgia (AP) — A suspected gunman fired shots into an Amazon facility in the west Georgia city of Columbus and died after a brief standoff with police, according to authorities.

https://apnews.com/article/amazon-shooting-columbus-georgia-cb72fe22755cfd0f461397c231ff3123?

[phkrause]

1 detainee killed and 2 others critically injured in Dallas ICE facility, Homeland Security says

DALLAS (AP) — A shooter with a rifle opened fire from a nearby roof onto a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement location in Dallas on Wednesday, killing one detainee and wounding two others in a transport van before taking his own life, authorities said.

https://apnews.com/article/ice-facility-shooting-dallas-immigration-d49f76ffc95572970ede58ef15769fe4?

ICE Shooting in Dallas

One person was killed and two others were left in critical condition after a gunman opened fire at a Dallas Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility yesterday morning. Officials described the shooting as a targeted attack and said the assailant died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound before police reached him.  The shooter was identified as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn. While a motive has not been publicly revealed, reports suggest an unused bullet with the words "ANTI-ICE" written in marker was found at the scene. The gunman opened fire from the rooftop of an adjacent building around 6:30 am ET local time, as detainees were being transferred into the facility. All three victims were detainees—no ICE officers were wounded—and were said to be sitting inside a transport van when the shooting began.     The attack appears to be the latest in an increasingly frequent string of politically or ideologically motivated violence, and comes two weeks after conservative activist Charlie Kirk was killed. See recent examples here.

[phkrause]

Motive of shooter who officials say opened fire at Dallas ICE facility remains unclear  For the second time in two weeks a shooter on a rooftop inflicted death on the ground, this time at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Dallas where a detainee was killed and two others were critically wounded by a gunman who then fatally shot himself. Read more.

What to know: The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that shots were fired early Wednesday “indiscriminately at the ICE building, including at a van in the sallyport,” a secure and gated entryway. The detainees were in the van. No ICE personnel were injured.   Authorities have given few details about the shooting and did not publicly release the names of the victims or the gunman. The shooter was identified as 29-year-old Joshua Jahn by a law enforcement official who could not publicly disclose details of the investigation and spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.   FBI Director Kash Patel posted a photo on social media showing a bullet found at the scene with “ANTI-ICE” written on it. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered more security at ICE facilities across the U.S., according to a post by the DHS on the social platform X.

RELATED COVERAGE ➤ What we know about the suspect and victims in the Dallas ICE facility shooting    Judge rules feds can’t require states to cooperate on immigration to get disaster money   Latinos in Memphis worry about possible immigration crackdown by Trump’s crime task force

[phkrause]

Police: Deadly shooting in North Carolina was ‘highly premeditated’ and location was ‘targeted’

SOUTHPORT, N.C. (AP) — A mass shooting that shattered the evening tranquility of a picturesque, seaside town in North Carolina was a “highly premeditated” attack that left three people dead and five injured, police said Sunday. The suspect who allegedly carried out the attack on a waterfront bar was in custody.

https://apnews.com/article/north-carolina-shooting-attack-waterfront-194ad399bbdab604c799c7f60f63ed8c?

Multiple victims in Michigan church shooting; church on fire, police say

Multiple victims have been injured in a shooting at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, on Sunday, according to police.

https://www.cnn.com/2025/09/28/us/michigan-church-shooting-grand-blanc?

Michigan Church Shooting

An assailant targeted The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, yesterday, killing at least four people and wounding at least eight others. Police identified the suspect as 40-year-old Iraq War veteran Thomas Jacob Sanford; they did not publicly disclose a motive as of this writing. The attack began just before 10:30 am, when the suspect drove a pickup truck adorned with American flags into the church, where services were underway. He then opened fire on congregants and is believed to have set the building on fire. An unknown number of victims were believed to be trapped inside the church. After roughly 10 minutes, the assailant was killed in an exchange of gunfire with responding police officers. See live updates here. The attack came after a mass shooting in Southport, North Carolina, Saturday evening, where a separate combat veteran killed at least three people and wounded eight others.   Gunman torches LDS church   This vehicle was rammed into a church in Grand Blanc, Mich., yesterday. Photo: Lukas Katilius/The Flint Journal via AP An ex-Marine smashed a pickup into a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints church in Michigan, opened fire and set the building ablaze during a crowded Sunday service, then was fatally shot by police. At least four people were killed and eight wounded, and authorities were searching the building ruins for more victims, AP reports. The attack occurred about 10:25 a.m. while hundreds of people were in the building in Grand Blanc Township, outside Flint. The man got out of the pickup, with two American flags raised in the truck bed, and started shooting, police chief William Renye told reporters. Authorities identified the shooter as a 40-year-old from the neighboring small town of Burton. The FBI considers it an "act of targeted violence." Get the latest ... Go deeper: Attacks on houses of worship over past 20 years.