Witnesses to a mass shooting in the US state of Minneapolis have described the terrifying scenes after an attacker opened fire on a church in which children were celebrating Mass on Wednesday morning.
One young boy described being protected by a friend who got hit himself.
Two children were killed and 17 others injured in an incident that the FBI is treating as an anti-Catholic hate crime.
The attacker, named as 23-year-old Robin Westman, died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Authorities have not yet given a suspected motive.
Westman was a former pupil of the school adjacent to the church, with a mother who worked at the establishment.
The young survivor, 10-year-old Weston Halsne, explained to CBS affiliate station WCCO that his friend saved him from bullets by lying on top of him.
He praised his friend Victor, who lay on top of him and got hit, saying, I was super scared for him but I think now he's okay. Weston also indicated their regular active shooter drills had not prepared them for such a terrifying situation in a church.
The attack created chaos as shots rang out, leading some locals to initially mistake it for construction noise.
Witnesses described the horror of children emerging from the church, covered in blood, with one girl begging for assistance after sustaining a head wound.
As a vigil for the victims was held, emotions ran high with many expressing deep sadness and anger over gun violence.
Governor Tim Walz addressed the "all too common" nature of such violence, while officials confirmed that the shooter acted alone and was not on their radar as a criminal threat.
As investigations continue, communities seek answers and healing in the wake of this tragedy.
