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Newly released 911 transcripts reveal the fear and chaos that gripped students, staff and clergy inside a Minneapolis church when a gunman clad in tactical gear opened fire on them in August.
The transcripts, obtained by Fox News Digital, include teachers whispering to calm students and staff urging children to stay hidden at Annunciation Catholic Church, while passersby outside describe the gunfire. The heroism of educators and staff who kept students quiet under pews and sheltered in a downstairs classroom is vividly revealed.
“Dear God, dear God in heaven, there’s some guns in Annunciation Church, on 54th,” Karen McCann, a parishioner hiding in the sanctuary, told a dispatcher.
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Parents await news of their children after a reported mass shooting at Annunciation Church, Aug. 27, in Minneapolis. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP)
“We’re all crouched down under the — it just happened. We’re crouched under the pews … it’s a whole bunch of people here,” McCann said. “He might be coming in the church again.”
The dispatcher tried to reassure her, saying, “We have so many responders on the way to you.”
The Aug. 27 mass shooting left two children dead and 18 others injured. The alleged gunman, Robin Westman, killed himself with his own weapon, police said.
In the Minneapolis police offense report also obtained by Fox News Digital, investigators marked the attack with “no bias” motivation — meaning it was not classified as a hate crime under state reporting standards.
The first 911 calls came from people outside the church who either saw the gunman or heard bullets ring out as early as 8:27 a.m., as students were getting ready to pray.
“There’s gunshots — there’s like gunshots all over,” an unidentified caller said. “Uhm, must have been 20, all together in a bunch of different bursts,” the caller said.
Susan Saly, right, and Meagan Pierlouissi place flowers at a memorial at Annunciation Catholic Church after Wednesday’s school shooting, Aug. 28, in Minneapolis. (Abbie Parr/AP Photo)
Jillian Mai, a parent driving by, described a man “in head-to-toe camo gear” with “black goggles … standing in place next to the church,” while neighbor Caitlin Nolan saying she saw the shooter across the street.
“He was shooting at the church … He seemed to be wearing all black and had a black, gigantic [gun],” Nolan said. “[It] had to be automatic.”
Inside, the horror was unfolding.
“We need, we need medical assistance ASAP. We got multiple people have been shot,” an unidentified woman caller, likely a staff member, told a dispatcher.
Father Dennis Zehren confirmed that children were inside the church and that the gunman was active at the south end of the building.
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Law enforcement officers gather outside Annunciation Church following the mass shooting in Minneapolis, Aug. 27. (Tim Evans/Reuters)
Becca Hare, a fourth-grade teacher, confirmed people were injured.
“I don’t know how many people are here, but there are people hurt,” Hare said. “Stay down, stay down, okay … I’m going to go help, I’m going to go help.”
The calls reveal dispatchers telling the terrified callers to stay hidden as teachers worked to keep students quiet under the pews.
Teacher Diane reported that she and her aides were downstairs, where they managed to barricade doors and took in fleeing children — actions that also likely kept the children safe from stray fire.
“We were downstairs having crackers and all of a sudden we heard gunshots … there’s a whole bunch of kids started coming in ’cause they’re running from everywhere,” she said.
“We’re in the church basement, locked in the classroom right now.”
Community members embrace after a shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School on Wednesday, Aug. 27, in Minneapolis. (Alex Kormann/Star Tribune via AP)
Meanwhile, at the end of Hare’s call, she told students that the police had arrived and then she began giving commands to others to move out.
“People just asked if someone was hurt and they said yes,” Hare said. “If you’re injured and you can walk, could you walk?” she said as she tried to evacuate the children.
“Injured are going, we are evacuating,” she said. “We are going to the school, we are going to the school. It’s okay, I promise.”
Outside, two of Westman’s stray bullets also hit the car of motorist Timothy Barnes, who said he was driving by as gunfire erupted.
“I saw a guy start shooting and my car got hit by bullets,” Barnes said.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey sits on the steps of the Annunciation Church’s school after police respond to a reported mass shooting, Aug. 27. (Abbie Parr/AP Photo)
Barnes described the shooter as being in all-black tactical gear with an assault rifle, standing “between the school and the church in a green space.”
In other documents obtained by Fox News Digital, police confirm that a death by suicide occurred as part of the same case.
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Westman is not named in the documents, which were redacted in accordance with Minnesota state law. Minneapolis police, however, identified him by name during a press briefing following the shooting.
Two children, Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski, were killed, and 18 people — 15 of them children — were injured. Sophia Forchas, who was shot in the head is making a steady recovery.
Michael Dorgan is a writer for Fox News Digital and Fox Business.
You can send tips to michael.dorgan@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @M_Dorgan.
