Beijing Daily reported that at around 8:30 a.m. US Central time on Aug. 27, Robin Westman, 23, opened fire at the century-old Annunciation Catholic school in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Using legally purchased rifles, shotguns and handguns, Westman shot through a side window of the church at children attending morning Mass for the new school term. The shooter fired approximately 30-50 rounds, killing two children ages 8 and 10 on the spot and injuring 17 others, before committing suicide in the school parking lot. Westman was a 2017 graduate of the school and had no prior criminal record.
On the afternoon of the attack, President Trump pledged support for the victims’ families and ordered all federal agencies to fly flags at half-staff. This was the fifth premeditated school shooting in the US in 2025, and the eighth occasion on which flags were lowered to mourn gun violence. In all, there have already been 286 mass shootings this year nationwide.
According to UN data, 10.3 out of 100,000 Americans die from gun violence – 24 times the global average. By contrast, after the 1996 Port Arthur massacre, Australia enacted the National Firearms Agreement, introducing strict controls that cut gun-related deaths by more than 50%. Following a 1997 school shooting, the UK banned private handgun ownership and implemented a large-scale buyback program; its current gun death rate is just one-fortieth that of the US.
The story garnered over 100 million views and was reposted by major outlets, including CCTV News, Guancha News and Phoenix Daily. Many readers commented that they are no longer surprised by shooting incidents in the US, and that such tragedies will keep happening as long as guns remain legal. Countless netizens also said they could not understand why the American people allow their government to avoid stricter gun regulations. One top comment, which received more than 1,200 likes, stated that “the US government’s lowering of flags is as meaningless as Japanese officials bowing.”