(The Lion) — A gunman is dead after opening fire through the windows of a Catholic church where K-8th grade students were gathered for Mass Wednesday morning, killing two children and leaving 17 others injured.
A law enforcement officer identified the shooter as Robin Westman to the Associated Press. Journalists on X and other social media users quickly identified Westman as a biological male, born “Robert,” but who identified as a woman. Benny Johnson posted a court order granting the name change, dated Jan. 15, 2020. According to the birth date on the document, Westman is 23 years old.
Also according to the court document, Westman’s mother is Mary Grace Westman, who appears to be the same woman who retired from the Catholic church in 2021.
Videos possibly tied to the shooter and reviewed by the New York Post shows “kill Donald Trump” and “for the children” scrawled on gun magazines. Police also told the Post the gunman’s mother worked at the school.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told the media the shooting happened during a worship service held at the church by Annunciation Catholic School. The gunman shot through the windows from outside at children sitting inside, he said. He called the act “incomprehensible,” but stopped short of identifying the motive of what might be an anti-Christian attack.
Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed, O’Hara added. Seventeen others were injured, including 14 children, two of them critically. The gunman, in his early 20s, died of self-inflicted gunshot wound. The chief said he believes the gunman used all three of the weapons found at the scene: a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol.
“Officers are reporting 20 victims” and “a man dressed in all-black and armed with a rifle was reported at the scene,” reported Fox9 Minneapolis.
One witness who heard shots fired reported hearing gunfire in waves for a few minutes, estimating 30-50 shots with pauses.
The shooting reportedly began at 8:27 a.m. An “All-School Mass” was scheduled for 8:15 a.m, according to NBC News.
President Donald Trump called the shooting “tragic.”
“The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene,” Trump posted to Truth Social. “The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!”
In a press release published just a couple of hours before the shooting, the Minneapolis Police Department announced three other shootings in a 12 hour period. The chief later said the shootings were unrelated.
“I’ve been briefed on a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School and will continue to provide updates as we get more information,” Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said in an X post. “I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.”
“Stand by them, love them,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey told the press of the families suffering. “I’m so deeply sorry,” he told the families.
