Officials said on Thursday that the actions of first responders, doctors, teachers and the children themselves during Wednesday’s mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school helped save lives. Hennepin County EMS Chief Marty Scheerer said, "We had one kid that covered up another kid and took a shotgun blast to his back."
At a press conference Thursday, authorities say they recovered electronic and written records as they investigate the shooter's motive. They described writings that cataloged the shooter's mental state and plans.
Findings so far suggest "More than anything, the shooter wanted to kill children," officials said Thursday.
Authorities are working to confirm their belief that the shooter acted alone.
Officials said the shooter previously attended Mass at the church they targeted and attended the same school. They confirmed the shooter's mother at one time worked for the parish.
All 18 people hospitalized in the shooting are expected to survive, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told CNN late Wednesday.
O’Hara said some of the 14 injured children have already been released from the hospital, noting that injuries ranged from minor graze wounds to life-threatening cases.
In addition to the 14 children and three adults wounded in the attack, an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old were killed. The suspected shooter, Robert Westman — also known as Robin Westman — died by suicide. Police said he was armed with three different firearms during the shooting.
Hennepin Healthcare announced on Thursday morning that it was caring for nine patients from Wednesday's shooting. Of those, two are in serious condition and one is in critical condition.
School leaders have not announced when classes will resume. "As we process and navigate this unfathomable time together, we will be in touch this weekend regarding when school will resume. Investigators and others are still on campus doing their essential work and we expect this to continue for some time," principal Matthew D. DeBoer and Pastor Dennis Zehren wrote in a joint statement.
