The United States is reeling from another devastating mass shooting after two children were gunned down and 17 others injured during morning mass at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis. Authorities have confirmed that the shooter, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, opened fire with three legally purchased firearms before turning the gun on themselves inside the school’s church.
The horror unfolded just before 8am on Wednesday as children, some as young as eight, gathered for prayer in the pews. Two youngsters, aged eight and ten, were killed in the barrage of gunfire. Fourteen other children and three elderly parishioners were wounded but are expected to survive, police said.
The FBI has described the attack as a hate crime against Catholics, while local investigators continue to examine the motives of the perpetrator.
A Troubled Path
Court documents reveal that Westman had a turbulent upbringing marked by instability and personal struggles. The shooter, who was born Robert Westman, legally changed both name and gender in 2019. Court filings in Dakota County show that Westman’s mother, Mary Grace, signed the petition for the change when her child was still a minor. The name change was approved in January 2020.
Westman’s education was equally unsettled. Records indicate the suspect moved through multiple schools in a short period, attending one institution for only three months. Eventually, Westman graduated from Annunciation Catholic School in 2017 — the same school targeted in the massacre.
During their time as a student at St. Thomas Academy, a Catholic military-style all-boys school in Mendota Heights, Westman wrote a chilling piece entitled But Not The End. In the writing, they reflected on fears of dying “with regrets that my name not be known for something more.” The disturbing note, reported by the Star Tribune, now reads as an ominous foreshadowing of the violence that would follow years later.
Manifesto and Disturbing Video
In the days and hours before the attack, Westman shared a manifesto in a 20-minute YouTube video that has since been deleted. The video, now in police possession, revealed an arsenal of firearms, ammunition, and handwritten notes.
Among the most disturbing revelations were the shooter’s apparent admiration for past school killers, with the names of gunmen such as Adam Lanza scrawled on weapon magazines. Other cartridges bore chilling slogans, including one labelled “For the children.”
Anti-church messages were also daubed on the weapons, mocking faith and targeting Catholics directly. One message read “Take this all of you, and eat!” while another asked, “Where is your God?” Still another message called for the killing of former President Donald Trump.
Police confirmed that Westman arrived at the school heavily armed with a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol. Investigators believe the shooter blocked at least two of the church doors with large wooden planks marked “No escape,” apparently designed to trap victims inside.
At one point in the video, Westman showed a drawing of the school church and then stabbed it repeatedly while declaring, “I’m going to kill myself.”
The manifesto also contained personal notes to family and friends. Westman wrote that they believed they were dying of cancer caused by vaping and other self-destructive habits. The note described the final act as something long contemplated, citing “depression, anger and twisted mind” as motivation. The letter was signed off with “Robin M Westman, 2002–2025” accompanied by a crude bird drawing.
The Attack
Witnesses described chaos erupting as Westman approached the church and began shooting through its stained-glass windows. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the shooter deliberately targeted children sitting in the pews.
“The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible,” O’Hara told reporters.
The shooter then entered the building before turning the gun on themselves. Their body was later discovered at the rear of the church.
Annunciation Catholic School, founded in 1923, currently has an enrolment of 391 students from pre-kindergarten through eighth grade. Students had only returned to classes two days earlier for the new academic year.
Community in Mourning
In the hours after the massacre, thousands of residents gathered to grieve. At the Academy of Holy Angels High School gymnasium, parents, students, and staff held a vigil for the victims. A separate candlelit gathering took place at Lynnhurst Park.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz called the shooting an act of “evil and horror,” while Senator Amy Klobuchar attended the vigil to offer condolences.
Westman’s mother, who previously worked as a parish secretary at Annunciation before retiring in 2021, reportedly broke down in tears when contacted by reporters. She initially did not know whether her child was the shooter.
National Response
The tragedy has once again reignited debate over gun violence in America. President Donald Trump announced that the U.S. flag would be flown at half-mast at the White House in honour of the victims.
Former First Lady Melania Trump also issued a rare public statement, urging the nation to take stronger preventative measures against potential school shooters.
“The tragic mass killing in Minnesota illuminates the need for pre-emptive intervention in identifying potential school shooters,” she said. “Early warning signs are often evident, with many individuals exhibiting concerning behaviours and making violent threats online prior to their actions. To prevent future tragedies, it is crucial we look into behavioural threat assessments across all levels of society—beginning in our homes, extending through school districts and of course, social media platforms.”
Her remarks placed emphasis on early detection of troubling behaviour, citing the warning signs visible in Westman’s writings and videos.
Growing Toll
According to Everytown for Gun Safety, the Minneapolis massacre marks at least the 57th shooting at a K–12 school in the United States so far in 2025. Prior to this latest attack, 47 people had been shot at schools this year, with at least 15 fatalities.
The statistics underline a grim reality: while vigils and tributes pour in for the Minneapolis victims, the cycle of mourning and calls for action continues to repeat.
