MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A gunman opened fire with a rifle through the windows of a Catholic church and struck a group of children celebrating Mass during the first week of school, killing two and wounding 17 in an act of violence the police chief called “absolutely incomprehensible.”

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the shooter — armed with a rife, shotgun and pistol — approached the side of the church and shot through the windows toward the children sitting in the pews during Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School.

O’Hara said the shooting suspect is dead and in his early 20s and does not have an extensive known criminal history. Officials are looking into his motive.

“This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshipping. The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible,” said the police chief, who noted that a wooden plank was placed to barricade some of the side doors.The children who died were 8 and 10, he said.

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz called the violence “horrific” in a social media post.

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ELKHART — One person was killed and 11 others were injured after they were shot in Elkhart Sunday morning.

The Elkhart Police Department says officers arrived in the 300 block of West Garfield Avenue, near Benham and West Indiana Avenues, just after 1 a.m.

Officers say all 12 people either arrived or were taken to hospitals afterwards. One of the people later died, but some others were treated for their injuries and released from the hospital.

Police are investigating an area between the 200 and 400 block of West Garfield Avenue to gather evidence, and they initially say several people opened fire.

If you have any information, Elkhart Police urge you to give them a call at 574-295-7070.

Anyone wanting to assist can contact Michiana Crime Stoppers at 574-288-STOP.

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A police bulletin identified Robert Card, 40, as a person of interest in the attack that sent panicked bowlers scrambling behind pins when shots rang out around 7 p.m. Card was described as a firearms instructor believed to be in the Army Reserve and assigned to a training facility in Saco, Maine.

The document, circulated to law enforcement officials, said Card had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks in the summer of 2023. It did not provide details about his treatment or condition but said Card had reported “hearing voices and threats to shoot up” the military base. A telephone number listed for Card in public records was not in service.

Lewiston Police said in an earlier Facebook post that they were dealing with an active shooter incident at Schemengees Bar and Grille and at Sparetime Recreation, a bowling alley about 4 miles (6.4 kilometers) away.

One bowler, who identified himself only as Brandon, said he heard about 10 shots, thinking the first was a balloon popping.

“I had my back turned to the door. And as soon as I turned and saw it was not a balloon — he was holding a weapon — I just booked it,” he told The Associated Press.

Brandon said he scrambled down the length of the alley, sliding into the pin area and climbing up to hide in the machinery. He was among a busload of survivors who were driven to a middle school in the neighboring city of Auburn to be reunited with family and friends.

“I was putting on my bowling shoes when when it started. I’ve been barefoot for five hours,” he said.

Melinda Small, the owner of Legends Sports Bar and Grill, said her staff immediately locked their doors and moved all 25 customers and employees away from the doors after a customer reported hearing about the shooting at the bowling alley less than a quarter-mile away. Soon, the police flooded the roadway and a police officer eventually escorted everyone out of the building.

“I am honestly in a state of shock. I am blessed that my team responded quickly and everyone is safe,” Small said. “But at the same time, my heart is broken for this area and for what everyone is dealing with. I just feel numb.”

After the shooting, police, many armed with rifles, took up positions while the city descended into eerie quiet — punctuated by occasional sirens — as people hunkered down at home. Schools were closed Thursday in Lewiston, Lisbon and Auburn, as well as municipal offices in Lewiston.

The Androscoggin County Sheriff’s Office released two photos of the suspect on its Facebook page that showed the shooter walking into an establishment with a weapon raised to his shoulder.

Two law enforcement officials told The AP that at least 16 people were killed and the toll was expected to rise. However, Michael Sauschuck, commissioner of the Maine Department of Public Safety, declined to provide a specific estimate at a news conference, calling it a “fluid situation.” State police planned to hold a mid-morning news conference Thursday.

The two law enforcement officials said dozens of people also had been wounded. The officials were not authorized to publicly discuss details of the ongoing investigation and spoke to AP on condition of anonymity.

On its website, Central Maine Medical Center said staff were “reacting to a mass casualty, mass shooter event” and were coordinating with area hospitals to take in patients. The hospital was locked down and police, some armed with rifles, stood by the entrances.

Meanwhile, hospitals as far away as Portland, about 35 miles (56 kilometers) to the south, were on alert to potentially receive victims.

An order for residents and business owners to stay inside and off the streets of the city of 37,000 was extended Wednesday night from Lewiston to Lisbon, about 8 miles (13 kilometers) away, after a “vehicle of interest” was found there, authorities said.

Gov. Janet Mills released a statement echoing instructions for people to shelter. She said she had been briefed on the situation and will remain in close contact with public safety officials.

President Joe Biden spoke by phone to Mills and the state’s Senate and House members, offering “full federal support in the wake of this horrific attack,” a White House statement said.

Maine Sen. Angus King, an independent, said he was “deeply sad for the city of Lewiston and all those worried about their family, friends and neighbors” and was monitoring the situation. King’s office said the senator would be headed directly home to Maine on the first flight possible.

Local schools will be closed Thursday and people should shelter in place or seek safety, Superintendent Jake Langlais said, adding: “Stay close to your loved ones. Embrace them.”

Wednesday’s death toll was staggering for a state that in 2022 had 29 homicides the entire year.

Maine doesn’t require permits to carry guns, and the state has a longstanding culture of gun ownership that is tied to its traditions of hunting and sport shooting.

Some recent attempts by gun control advocates to tighten the state’s gun laws have failed. Proposals to require background checks for private gun sales and create a 72-hour waiting period for gun purchases failed earlier this year. Proposals that focused on school security and banning bump stocks failed in 2019.

State residents have also voted down some attempts to tighten gun laws in Maine. A proposal to require background checks for gun sales failed in a 2016 public vote.

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MUNCIE — He's not charged with murder yet, but the suspect in the Muncie mass shooting faces several felony charges.

John L. Vance Jr., 36, was arrested just before 5 p.m. Tuesday. Vance was in the passenger seat in a car when Muncie Police, Delaware County Police, the FBI and US Marshals surrounded the car.

"Two counts of aggravated battery, a Level 3 felony," says Muncie Police Deputy Chief Melissa Criswell, listing the charges against Vance during a Wednesday press conference, "possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, a Level 4 felony, and criminal recklessness, a Level 5 felony."

Deputy Chief Criswell says Vance and another person got into an altercation around the time the shooting started Sunday morning. Nearly 20 people were shot, with at least 6 still recovering in hospitals in Muncie and Indianapolis.

Joseph Bonner III was shot and killed.

Mayor Dan Ridenour says the crowd size got out of control, and that it made handling the crime scene that much more difficult.

An estimated 500 to 1,000 people were in the intersection of South Hackley Street and East Willard Street.

"On-shift personnel, on-duty personnel depending on the shift or the day could range anywhere from 10 to 15 officers," says Muncie Police Deputy Chief Christopher Deegan, "on the night of the shooting, we had 14 personnel on duty from Muncie Police Department alone. Our personnel felt the need to attend to victims right away by performing CPR, by applying tourniquets, by loading them into police cars and getting them to the hospital. And then returning to the scene to provide what other assistance that we could. That's how chaotic this scene was."

Vance is currently in jail with a $105,000 cash bond, says Criswell. A probable cause affidavit is being filed and will be released.

"We know that this does not heal the pain that our community is enduring, but we are hopeful that it will take steps towards that closure," says Mayor Ridenour.

Police say it's possible more suspects could be arrested and more charges could be filed, including against the property owner who police say ignored calls to shut down the block party Sunday morning.

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Muncie police responded to multiple reports of gunfire on the city’s east side just after 1 a.m., The Star Press reported. Police said in a news release that there was no active threat to the community and that “multiple” victims were injured, including some critically.

“Due to the number of victims and nature of the incident, multiple agencies were contacted to assist,” Muncie Deputy Police Chief Melissa Criswell said in a statement sent to The Star Press.

Many police officers from the nearby town of Eaton were among those who provided assistance, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. Eaton Police Chief Jay Turner called the incident a “mass shooting.”

Police did not say how many people were injured, but officials at Indiana University Health Ball Memorial Hospital in Muncie told The Associated Press that 19 victims were treated in their emergency department for injuries related to the shooting, and 13 remained at the hospital in stabilized condition Sunday morning. Criswell said some victims sustained critical injuries and were transferred by medical helicopter to other facilities.

Delaware County Coroner Gavin Greene identified the man who died as 30-year-old Joseph E. Bonner III, The Star Press reported.

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