Pat Scallen, a resident near Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, rushed to assist victims of a shooting that occurred on Wednesday morning. He described hearing multiple gunshots and realizing something was wrong after the tenth shot.

"I didn't know exactly what it was at first, but after about the 10th shot, I knew something was wrong," Scallen recalled. He quickly made his way to the school, where he noticed a magazine on the ground near the church.

Upon arriving, Scallen found the scene chaotic as children emerged from the church, many visibly shaken and injured. He reported seeing a boy and a girl who had been shot in the head, as well as another girl who had been shot in the neck.

"They were very frightened. They wanted their mom and dad," he said. Scallen took it upon himself to comfort the injured children, sitting them down and trying to keep them calm. He closely monitored their conditions, hoping for no further deterioration.

One girl, who had been shot in the head, pleaded with him, "Please just hold my hand." Scallen responded, saying, "I did."

According to police, two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed in the shooting, while 17 others sustained injuries. Among the injured were 14 children aged 6 to 15, as well as three elderly parishioners in their 80s. Fortunately, all those injured are expected to survive.

The shooter, identified by the FBI as 23-year-old Robin Westman, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene. Authorities are still investigating the motive behind the attack.

Scallen expressed his thoughts on the school, stating, "Annunciation Catholic School is one of the premiere schools in the city and state and is integral to the neighborhood." He acknowledged the community's grief but remained hopeful, saying, "There's a spirit here, and I know they'll be grieving for a while, but this place, they'll come back."