MINNEAPOLIS, MN — Chaos and terror erupted inside a Minneapolis Catholic church on Wednesday morning as a gunman opened fire through stained glass windows, killing two children and injuring more than a dozen others during a back-to-school Mass.
The shooter, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, a biological female who identified as male, graduated from Annunciation Catholic School in 2017, according to police sources. Westman died at the scene after being confronted by responding officers just minutes after the attack began.
Mr. Westman left an online manifesto filled with anti-Jewish messaging and anti-Donald Trump writings on his rifle’s magazine. Other magazines had racial slurs against blacks and Hispanics.
The shooting unfolded shortly after 8 a.m. as nearly 100 students, staff, and parishioners were gathered inside Annunciation Church for the first Mass of the new school year. Witnesses say the shooter opened fire from outside the building using a semi-automatic rifle, shattering windows and sending children diving for cover between pews.
Two students, both under the age of 10, were killed. Fourteen other children were wounded, along with three elderly parishioners. Several remain in critical condition at local hospitals.
Law enforcement officials said Westman scrawled phrases including “For the Children,” “Where is your God,” and “Kill Donald Trump” on a rifle magazine recovered at the scene. Authorities are reviewing a manifesto posted on Westman’s now-deactivated social media account. Its contents have not been released, but investigators confirmed the shooter left behind digital materials that are central to the ongoing investigation.
The video has since been released by others who saved screenshots and clips of the now deleted manifesto,
Security camera footage reviewed by police reportedly shows Westman walking through the school’s front gate shortly before the shooting, dressed in dark clothing and carrying a duffel bag. Surveillance captured the shooter setting up position in a hedged area before unleashing a barrage of rounds into the sanctuary windows.
Local officials confirmed the shooter was known to some staff members at the school and had been previously treated for mental health issues. However, no active restraining orders or prior charges had been filed against Westman.
Annunciation Catholic School will remain closed through at least next week, officials said, as investigators continue to process the crime scene and counselors are brought in for grieving students and staff.
The FBI and ATF have joined the investigation, although no known accomplices or broader threats have been identified.
Law enforcement sources say a search of Westman’s apartment uncovered additional writings, computer equipment, and ammunition, which are being analyzed.
This is the deadliest school-related shooting in Minnesota since the Red Lake massacre in 2005.
The shooter’s connection to the school, along with the timing of the attack during a religious service, is prompting questions over motive and intent.
Governor Tim Walz released a brief statement calling the incident “a tragedy beyond comprehension,” while law enforcement has scheduled a press conference for Friday to provide more details.