Shooter Targets Catholic School Children During Morning Mass, Then Takes Own Life

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Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed and 17 people (14 of them children) were injured when a shooter opened fire during morning Mass at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said Wednesday. Two of those injured are in critical condition. All the injured victims are expected to survive.

  • Law enforcement responded to the shooting around 8:30 a.m. local time. It took place during an all-school Mass at the Annunciation Church, which is also home to an elementary school with students from preschool through eighth grade.

  • The Mass marked the first week of the school year.

  • “We lost two angels today. We can’t change the past, but we can do something about the future,” school principal Matt DeBoer said, calling on everyone to ensure there are reforms to prevent future tragedies. “Don’t stop with your words. Never again can we let this happen.”

The shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. The FBI is investigating the shooting as an act of terrorism and a hate crime against the Catholic community.

WHAT WE KNOW:
The shooter, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, was armed with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol. She was outside the church and fired through the windows before dying of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. She also used "a smoke bomb" and barricades on doors, police said.

  • Police are investigating a disturbing manifesto and YouTube videos showing weapons marked with phrases like “for the children,” along with a sketch of a church interior, that are allegedly linked to Westman. The videos were reportedly scheduled to be published just after the shooting and were quickly taken down by YouTube. The killer also reportedly left an apology note to family and friends; Westman’s mother once worked at Annunciation and retired several years ago.

    • Court records show Westman was born a male and legally changed her name from Robert Westman in 2019, when she was still a minor, with her mother’s help, given that she identified as female.

  • Police said the shooter had no extensive known criminal history and fired through a window from outside the church building before taking her own life.

    • All 3 weapons used were lawfully purchased. There are additional firearms being recovered from residential properties.

Here is 10-year-old Weston Harsne, recalling how his friend Victor laid on top of him to shield him from the bullets — but was hit and is now in the hospital.

POLITICIANS WEIGH IN

During an emotional news conference, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) said: "Don't say this is about thoughts and prayers - these kids were literally praying” when a gunman shot through the windows.

  • Frey went on to say how children should be able to go to school or church across the country without the risk of experiencing violence.


  • President Trump     posted on Truth Social that he’s been fully briefed on the shooting and that the FBI is on the scene.

Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D) said one of her former staffers had three children at the all-school Mass, including a seventh grader who witnessed her friends getting shot in front of her. Klobuchar called for stricter gun laws in the U.S.

BIGGER PICTURE
Mass shootings — defined as incidents where four or more people are injured or killed — are down from their post-COVID highs but remain above 2013–2019 levels. 2022 holds the record for most school shootings, with 46.

Bottom line: Since the Columbine shooting in 1999, nearly 400,000 students have experienced gun violence at school.

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