Police have recognized the suspect who they are saying opened hearth outdoors of a church at a Catholic college in Minneapolis, killing two youngsters and injuring 17 others, as 23-year-old Robin Westman.
An 8-year-old and 10-year-old have been shot and killed when the gunman fired by way of the home windows of a church on the Annunciation Catholic College on Wednesday morning, police mentioned.
Division of Homeland Safety Secretary Kristi Noem additionally confirmed the identification of the suspect, calling Westman a “deranged monster.”
Police and first responders work on the scene of a taking pictures close to Annunciation Church and Catholic College in Minneapolis, Minneosta, on August 27, 2025.
Eva Claire Hambach/AFP through Getty Pictures
“This stage of violence is unthinkable. Our deepest prayers are with the youngsters, mother and father, households, educators, and Christians all over the place. We mourn with them, we pray for therapeutic, and we are going to always remember them,” Noem mentioned in a press release.
Driver’s license info reviewed by ABC Information describes Westman as a feminine, born on June 17, 2002.
A driver’s license picture obtained by ABC Information reveals Robin Westman, recognized because the suspect in Aug. 27, 2025 assault in Minneapolis.
Obtained by ABC Information
A reputation change software for a minor born on the identical date was authorised by a district courtroom in Minnesota in 2020, altering the title of a Robert Westman to Robin Westman, explaining the minor baby “identifies as a feminine and needs her title to replicate that identification.”
Police mentioned Westman is believed to be the one suspect on this taking pictures. Westman doesn’t seem to have an intensive or recognized felony historical past, police mentioned.
Legislation enforcement officers collect outdoors Annunciation Church following a mass taking pictures occasion, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 27, 2025.
Tim Evans/Reuters
Officers mentioned they’re trying by way of info left behind to “attempt to decide some kind of motive” for this taking pictures. No explosives have been found on the scene, however a “smoke bomb” was positioned by officers, police mentioned.
Annunciation church taking pictures suspect Robin Westman’s mom labored on the church till 2021, in response to on-line posts from the church. Westman additionally beforehand attended the varsity, the police chief informed Minneapolis ABC affiliate KSTP.
“We consider he had been a pupil right here, that his mother had labored right here prior to now,” O’Hara informed KSTP.
Mom labored on the church
Within the title change software from 2020, Mary Grace Westman was listed as Robin Westman’s mom.
An August 2021 put up by the church, reviewed by ABC Information, introduced Westman’s retirement after 5 years of service on the church.
A 2020 put up by the church’s outgoing pastor described Westman as a parish secretary; a 2016 church bulletin introduced her hiring as an administrative assistant within the church’s enterprise workplace.
Officers trying into YouTube movies
Officers are investigating a collection of movies posted to YouTube believed to be related to Westman, in response to regulation enforcement sources conversant in the matter.
Two movies, posted Wednesday morning and since eliminated by YouTube, present somebody flipping by way of dozens of pages of notes dated over the course of a number of months, which embrace what seems to be doodles of weapons, center fingers, and expletives. There are additionally repeated references to killing.
The movies, which depict handwritten journals and a show of high-powered weaponry, paint a portrait of an individual with a rambling and deeply nihilistic outlook, in response to analyses by regulation enforcement and ABC Information.
The writings within the notebooks and on the firearms, that are written in a mix of Cyrillic alphabet, English and different languages, point out a collection of grievances, anger and ideations of hurt to self and to others.
The writings additionally seem to indicate overt references to different high-profile college shootings and shooters.
In a single pocket book, there’s a sticker that claims “defend equality” with an LGBTQIA flag, overlaid with a gun. A gun additionally has writings towards Israel.
Taking on a full web page of a pocket book is a hand-drawn birdseye view of the within of a church with pews. The drawing seems to indicate the inside structure of Annunciation Church.
In one of many movies the shooter refers to private melancholy and apologizes to members of the family.
YouTube didn’t reply to a request for remark from ABC Information.
Households and family members reunite outdoors the police barricades after a taking pictures at Annunciation Church, which can also be dwelling to a an elementary college, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, August 27, 2025.
Ben Brewer/Reuters
Westman died on the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara mentioned.
The suspect approached the aspect of the constructing and fired the rifle by way of the church home windows towards the youngsters and different worshipers sitting within the pews, O’Hara mentioned. Westman was armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol, and police consider the shooter fired from all three weapons. Police mentioned Westman purchased the weapons lawfully they usually have been “bought just lately.”
Further firearms are additionally being recovered from the residences which might be “associated to the shooter,” police mentioned.
O’Hara described the suspect as a “coward” and mentioned the taking pictures was a “deliberate act of violence” that’s “completely incomprehensible.”
“This sort of evil ought to by no means occur,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey mentioned.
Frey careworn at a second information convention, “Anyone who’s utilizing this as a possibility to villainize our trans group, or every other group on the market, has misplaced their sense of widespread humanity. We shouldn’t be working out of a spot of hate.”
“Children died in the present day,” he continued. “This must be about them. This must be wrapping our arms round these households.”
ABC Information’ Katherine Faulders, Aaron Katersky, Josh Margolin, Luke Barr, Mike Levine, Sasha Pezenik and Megan Christie contributed to this report.
