What we know about the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting

Two children have been killed and at least 17 people injured after a shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis.

The attack happened at around 08:30 local time (13:30 BST) at Annunciation Church, where children had been attending a worship service during their first week of school.

Here's what the BBC knows about what happened.

Law enforcement guard an entrance to the school following the shooting

The gunman

The gunman has been identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, from suburban Minneapolis, three law enforcement sources have told BBC's US partner CBS news.

His motive is currently unknown.

He was described as being dressed in all black and carrying three weapons - a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol. A smoke bomb was also found in what the police believe is his car found in the church car park.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said he did not have an "extensive known criminal history", and that he acted alone.

"Our hearts are broken for the families who have lost their children", O'Hara said, as well as for the young lives "fighting to recover" and for "the entire community that has been so deeply traumatised by this senseless attack".

The victims

Two children, aged eight and 10, were killed. Seventeen people were also injured, 14 of whom are children.

The gunman was also dead, police said.

Ten of the injured are in critical condition in hospital, CBS News says.

Thomas Wyatt, chairman of emergency medicine at Hennepin County Medical Center, said seven children aged between six and 14 years old were brought in to his department and were in critical condition, with four needing surgery.

Non-critical patients were taken to other hospitals.

"These were Minneapolis families," Mayor Jacob Frey said during a briefing. "These were American families, and the amount of pain they are suffering right now is extraordinary."

Making a pointed reference to the typical political response to mass shootings, Frey - a Democrat - said: "Don't just say this is about 'thoughts and prayers' right now. These kids were literally praying."

The school

Annunciation Catholic Church and its faith-based school is for students from preschool (nursery-level) up to Grade 8 (aged 14 years old), according to its website.

The Catholic school's approach to teaching is one of faith-based learning, which is implemented in all classrooms.

It added that their religion "compels" them to reach out to others in the area, with other parishes and with their sister school in Haiti.