Police have identified 23-year-old Robin Westman as the suspected gunman who opened fire inside a Minneapolis church on Wednesday, killing two children and injuring 17 others before dying by suicide.
The attack took place just before 8:30 a.m. during Mass at Annunciation Catholic School, when Westman entered the church armed with a shotgun, rifle, and pistol, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said at a press conference.
Two children, aged eight and ten, were fatally shot. Fourteen other children and three parishioners in their eighties were wounded but are expected to survive.
“The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible,” O’Hara said.
Disturbing videos posted online
In the hours before the shooting, Westman allegedly uploaded videos to a YouTube channel under the name Robin W. The channel was later taken down, PEOPLE reports.
One video showed multiple firearms and ammunition, some scrawled with messages including “kill Donald Trump” and “Where is your God?” Another clip featured a sketch of the church; Westman pointed to two windows before stabbing the drawing with a knife.
Authorities also recovered a notebook written partly in English and partly in Cyrillic script, containing passages of self-loathing and an expressed fascination with past school shooters.
In one manifesto-style note, Westman reportedly wrote: “I don’t want to dress girly all the time but I guess sometimes I really like it. I know I am not a woman but I definitely don’t feel like a man. I really like my outfit. I look pretty, smart and modest. I think I want to wear something like this for my shooting.”
Federal investigation launched
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the attack is being investigated as both a hate crime targeting Catholics and an act of domestic terrorism.
“FBI agents are on scene, and we ask everyone to keep potential victims, civilians or law enforcement in your prayers,” Patel wrote on X.
Community ties and background
Westman, who was legally granted a name change from Robert to Robin in 2020 after a petition filed by their mother, had previously attended Annunciation Catholic School and was seen near the campus as recently as last week. Their mother reportedly worked at the school until her retirement in 2021, according to local outlet KARE 11.
While federal officials confirmed Westman identified as transgender, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey urged the public not to direct hostility toward the wider transgender community in the wake of the tragedy.
“This individual’s horrific actions do not reflect on an entire community,” he said.
As investigators continue to analyze digital evidence and trace Westman’s movements leading up to the shooting, officials have now stated that the attack appears to have been premeditated.
READ MORE
- Mom of 16-year-old who was lured to his death and filmed dying by 9 teens breaks silence
- Man claiming to be Jesus kills girl in Target shooting
