Former Student Identified as Gunman in Minneapolis Church Shooting

Two Children Killed in Tragic Minneapolis Church Shooting

In a tragic act of violence that has shaken the Minneapolis area, two schoolchildren, aged eight and ten, were killed after a gunman opened fire on a Catholic church on only their third day back at school. The shooting, which also left 17 others injured, took place at the Annunciation Catholic Church, which is connected to the school. Police have identified the attacker as Robin Westman, a 23-year-old former student of the school, who later died from what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The attack, which authorities believe was meticulously planned, has added to a difficult period for the Minnesota community, which has seen a string of recent shootings and political violence.

A Community in the Morning

The shooting happened as victims were gathered inside the church for a morning Mass, as confirmed by Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara. Westman, who was outside, used three legally purchased guns to fire through the church windows, striking the children in the pews. The tragic scene was discovered by police, who later found Westman’s body with a suspected self-inflicted gunshot wound behind the church.

The community is reeling from this tragedy, which comes at a particularly difficult time for the Greater Minneapolis area. Just weeks prior, three people were killed in a series of separate shootings over 13 hours. And in June, a different gunman targeted the homes of two state politicians, killing Democratic House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark. Governor Tim Walz tragically found himself at the scene of another disaster, only a few weeks after having attended the funeral for the Hortmans. The governor admitted that such situations are “all too common” in Minnesota and said he would work to find ways to prevent future violence.

The Shooter's Background and Premeditated Plan

Initial details paint a complex and troubling portrait of the shooter. Robin Westman, born as Robert Paul Westman in 2002, was once a student at the Annunciation Catholic School, graduating from eighth grade in 2017. Their mother, Mary Grace, had served as a parish secretary at the church, a detail that adds a chilling layer of intimacy to the attack. In 2019, Westman’s mother applied for their name to be changed to Robin M Westman, citing that the minor “identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.” However, a recently discovered notebook entry suggests a more nuanced understanding of gender, with one page reportedly reading: “I don’t want to dress girly all the time, but I guess sometimes I really like it. The passage conveys a sense of not identifying with either gender, with the individual writing that they are not a woman but also do not feel like a man. The investigation revealed that Westman had no prior criminal history, with state court records showing only minor traffic citations. Westman was employed at a medical cannabis dispensary, though they had stopped working there on August 16, just days before the attack. Despite the lack of a criminal past, evidence suggests the attack was highly calculated and premeditated. In a press conference, Police Chief O’Hara confirmed that Westman had recently purchased the three guns—a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol—legally. A passage in one of Westman’s notebooks referenced how "shockingly easy" it was to buy a gun from a pawnshop.

The most disturbing evidence of premeditation comes from a series of YouTube videos and handwritten notebooks. The now-removed videos included a "manifesto" addressed to family and friends. One page of the journal reportedly reads, "I am feeling good about Annunciation. A chilling passage in one of the notebooks referred to the site as an ideal combination of an easy-to-execute attack and a tragic outcome. The journals also included diagrams of the church and a plan to target children during times when parents were not present. These chilling details suggest that Westman had been meticulously planning an attack on the school for some time.

The Investigation and Political Fallout

While the motive remains under investigation, federal officials have already labeled the shooting. The FBI has classified the shooting as "an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics," as announced in a post on X by Director Kash Patel. Officials are now reviewing the videos and notebooks in an attempt to understand the motive behind the attack.

The tragedy has also been used as a platform for political commentary. Some conservative and far-right figures have seized on Westman's transgender identity to promote anti-trans narratives. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R, Ga.) posted on X, “If they are willing to destroy themselves and how God made them, then they are willing to destroy others, and we saw that happen today.” Similarly, right-wing influencer Laura Loomer went as far as suggesting that “parents need to start coming together to advocate for trans kids not to be allowed to attend classes in public schools.” This immediate and often hateful political fallout has added to the grief of a community grappling with an incomprehensible act of violence. The words of Westman’s uncle, former Kentucky state representative Bob Heleringer, offered a somber counterpoint, as he told the Associated Press, "He was my nephew, and I wish he had shot me instead of innocent schoolchildren." The tragic event has brought into sharp focus both the ongoing gun violence crisis in America and the deep political divisions that emerge in its wake.