Lori Luepke had just finished feeding the birds in her yard on Wednesday morning when she heard gunshots echo through her neighborhood. Recently retired from a teaching position at a nearby Catholic high school, Luepke knows many of the families at Annunciation Catholic School, just down the block.
“It was so surreal to be sitting on the deck, finishing my coffee, and thinking about how great it is to be retired,” she said. “And then, hearing those gunshots—it was like something out of a nightmare.”
As police began to cordon off surrounding streets, Luepke and her neighbor, Steven Delegard, walked nearby, anxiously waiting for more information. Delegard’s niece attends the school, but he had not yet received word on her safety.
“We could have called, but they’re probably busy and upset,” he said. “So, we’ll just have to wait and see.”
Alex Jacques, who had traveled across town to offer support to a friend whose 3-year-old son attends the preschool at Annunciation, shared similar feelings of uncertainty. His friend had rushed to the school after hearing gunshots from her backyard.
“When we got there, the teacher wasn’t fully aware of what was happening,” Jacques recalled. “So my friend helped keep the children safe while we waited for more help to arrive.”
School Shooting Part of a Grim Trend in Minnesota
Minneapolis, MN — August 27, 2025
By Andi Babineau, CNN
The shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis marks the latest in a series of tragedies that have struck the state of Minnesota in recent months.
Just one day before the school shooting, CNN affiliate KARE reported a shooting across the street from a Catholic high school in the area, which left one person dead and six others injured. The violence has shaken local communities, already reeling from other recent tragedies.
In June, Minnesota’s Democratic House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband were tragically assassinated in their home. In a separate attack, state Sen. John Hoffman and his wife were seriously wounded by the same assailant. Authorities identified the suspect, Vance Boelter, who was dressed in law enforcement tactical gear and a silicone mask to conceal his identity during the attacks. Boelter now faces both state and federal charges.
Additionally, the state has not fully recovered from the 2020 death of George Floyd, whose killing in Minneapolis sparked national outrage and fueled the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter movement. The disturbing video of police officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on Floyd’s neck for over nine minutes led to Chauvin’s conviction on federal and state charges, along with three other officers who failed to intervene and provide aid.
Minnesota residents continue to grapple with the emotional toll of these events, and the latest school shooting only deepens the sense of insecurity felt by many in the state.
