The suspect behind the shooting at a Minnesota Catholic school church that left two children dead and 14 other children and three adults wounded has been identified and online videos reveal an obsession with other mass killers as well as elaborate plans before the attack began.
Robin Westman, 23, has been identified as the suspect who started shooting around 8:30 a.m. at Annunciation Catholic School in a Minneapolis suburb. Westman fired dozens of rounds through the church as the schoolkids and teachers were at Mass, marking the first week of school, authorities say.
The two students killed were aged 8 and 10. A further 14 children, all between the ages of six and 15 were injured and several were taken to the hospital. Three adult parishioners attending the mass at the time of the shooting were also injured, but survived, according to police.
Westman died by suicide as law enforcement rushed to the scene.
“This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshipping,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said.
Shortly after Westman was identified, videos reportedly from the suspect were shared on social media – though police have not released a motive for the attack.
A vigil was held Wednesday evening at the Academy of Holy Angels to honor the victims, with speakers including Minnesota Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, and state Senator Amy Klobuchar.
Here is everything we know about Wednesday’s tragic incident at the church, adjacent to Annunciation Catholic School, and the shooter:
Who was the shooter?
The shooter was identified as Robin Westman, law enforcement officials said.
Westman doesn’t have a criminal history, and police are still trying to determine a motive for the attack. The shooter was wearing black clothing and “cargo-type pants,” O’Hara said, and was armed with a rifle, shotgun and a pistol — all of which were lawfully purchased.
Westman shot through the stained-glass windows behind doors that were barricaded using 2-by-4 wood planks from the outside, O’Hara said.
Police have referred to Westman as “he’, but in 2019, the shooter changed their name from Robert to Robin, court documents show. In court documents, it is listed that Westman identified as a woman.
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What was the motive?
The motive behind the tragedy isn’t immediately clear and police continue to investigate.
Westman grew up in Richfield and the shooter’s mother was an employee at Annunciation School, KARE11 reported. When Westman’s mother was reached by the Minneapolis Star-Tribune, she was crying and said she didn’t know if her child was the shooter.
Westman’s father owns a home less than a mile from the school and church, according to the Star-Tribune. The home was blocked off by police in the hours after the shooting.
While the motive is not clear, online posts linked to Westman show an obsession with mass killers, neo-Nazi thoughts and alleged plans for the attack. Authorities confirmed Westman posted a manifesto.
What does social media show?
A series of disturbing videos circulating on social media — that were allegedly linked to an account belonging to the suspect — provide some insight into the attack.
In one video, Westman flips through a notebook containing pages upon pages of handwritten notes, most of which does not appear to be in English. In that video, Westman can be heard saying: “I love my family” and “I can’t deal with this anymore.”
Massive all-caps letters on one page read: “Sick f*** sick f*** murderer.”
The last page shown in the video reads: “The end. I’m so sorry.” It’s signed “Robin” with a heart drawn next to it.
In another clip, a knife stabs the center of a page depicting the layout of a church, complete with drawings of the doorways, the pews, a cross and even a compass to show which direction it faces.
Yet another clip shows the suspect showing off guns and ammunition. Silver ink is scrawled on each of the black weapons. “Kiss me” is written on the barrel of one gun while the names of famous mass killers are written on another. The names included Robert Bowers, the gunman in the 2018 Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh and “Rupnow,” an apparent reference to Natalie “Samantha” Rupnow who opened fire at Wisconsin’s Abundant Life Christian School in 2024.
Westman also made references to killing President Donald Trump on one of the weapons.
One weapon is also mentions “Breivik,” seemingly referencing Anders Behring Breivik, a neo-Nazi who killed 77 people in Norway in 2011.
In another apparent neo-Nazi reference, other writing seemed to reference the Holocaust, stating: “6 million wasn’t enough.”
