Minneapolis was plunged into horror on Wednesday morning when 23-year-old Robin Westman opened fire during Mass at Annunciation Catholic School, killing two children and injuring 17 others before turning the gun on herself.
Authorities say Westman, a transgender woman who legally changed her name from Robert in 2020, arrived at the school armed with a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol. Students had only just returned for the new academic year when the shooting erupted inside the church, shattering stained-glass windows and cutting through the sound of prayer. Police confirmed that fourteen children and three adults were injured in the rampage, while two youngsters, just eight and ten years old, were fatally struck.
Suspected Minneapolis Catholic school shooter ID’ed as Robin Westman, a radical leftist
“Kill Donald Trump” & “Where is your God” scrawled on his magazine pic.twitter.com/ykXV1pAr2M
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) August 27, 2025
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara condemned the attack in the strongest terms, calling it “a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and worshippers.” He added that the sheer cruelty of the assault was “absolutely incomprehensible.” Investigators later confirmed that Westman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound near the rear of the church.
Court filings show that Westman had petitioned to change her name from Robert Paul Westman in 2019, while she was still a minor. Her mother Mary, who worked at Annunciation Catholic School before retiring in 2021, signed the paperwork to support the application. The petition, approved in January 2020, stated that Westman “identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.”
The connection to the school stunned many in the community, with parents reeling at the revelation that the shooter’s own family had once been part of the institution. Founded in 1923, Annunciation Catholic School serves nearly 400 students from pre-K through eighth grade.
The shooter Robin Westman’s mother who worked for the Annunciation Catholic Church, and his pics over the years. pic.twitter.com/EXzQHa6iqW
— Bella (@stockbella) August 27, 2025
Police revealed disturbing signs of preparation. Two church doors had been barricaded with wooden planks, suggesting Westman intended to trap students and staff inside. All three firearms were discharged during the assault, though investigators are still determining whether Westman fired mostly from outside or also entered the church.
Even more chilling, authorities are analyzing a 20-minute video uploaded to a YouTube account believed to belong to Westman. The now-deleted clip reportedly showed a drawing of a church being stabbed repeatedly, accompanied by a whispering voice saying, “I’m going to kill myself.” Other clips showed semi-automatic weapons and gun parts inscribed with the names of previous mass shooters. One part carried a message aimed at Donald Trump, calling for him to be killed.
Developing situation in south Minneapolis. Active shooter at Annunciation Catholic Church at 509 W 54th St. The shooter is reportedly contained (reportedly dead).
Information on injuries is still developing. pic.twitter.com/WY4LSpySmV— CrimeWatchMpls (@CrimeWatchMpls) August 27, 2025
The possible manifesto has fueled speculation about Westman’s state of mind, mixing personal turmoil with extremist messaging. Minneapolis police have requested assistance from federal investigators to examine whether the shooting could be classified as a hate crime or an act of domestic terrorism.
Local and national leaders rushed to express grief and outrage. Governor Tim Walz ordered flags lowered to half-staff, while Mayor Jacob Frey urged that the community needed more than “thoughts and prayers.” Church leaders echoed the call, with many describing the killings as an assault not only on children but on the sanctity of faith itself.
Parents wept as they were reunited with surviving children in the parking lot, while clergy led impromptu prayers for the victims. For Minneapolis, the back-to-school week turned from a moment of hope to a nightmare etched in tragedy.
