Who Was Robin Westman? Minneapolis Shooter Who Killed Two Students Before Turning Gun on Self Posted Disturbing YouTube Videos Before Rampage
The Minneapolis school shooter, who killed two children and left at least 17 others wounded, has been identified as Robin Westman, as law enforcement officials investigate a possible manifesto connected to the suspect, sources said. Westman, in his early 20s, shot dead two students after opening fire inside the Minneapolis church before taking his own life.
Westman began shooting through the stained-glass windows of Annunciation Catholic Church during a back-to-school Mass packed with children around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. The gunman was found dead at the scene. Authorities are now looking into whether a disturbing 20-minute YouTube video posted on an account just hours before the attack is linked to Westman.
Shooter Unmasked
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The video shows a hand slowly flipping through the pages of a red notebook placed over what looks like gun schematic drawings. The pages are covered in messy, hard-to-read handwriting, while smoke occasionally drifts up from the bottom of the screen as the person coughs and lets out bursts of unsettling laughter.
Other videos reveal the gunman’s obsession with mass shooters — including Adam Lanza, the gunman behind the Sandy Hook tragedy.
Westman was dressed in all black and carried a rifle, a shotgun, and a handgun to the church. Police said he was found dead at the scene with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told reporters at a press conference that authorities had never heard of the shooter before.
YouTube videos show a variety of weaponry, including a shotgun and a semi-automatic rifle. The phrases “for the children” and “kill Donald Trump” were scribbled on magazines.
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Police said that Westman had parked his car close to the school, and detectives will be examining it as part of their investigation. Authorities have not yet revealed whether he fired from inside the church or carried out the entire shooting outside before entering.
Police also said that at least two of the church doors appeared to have been secured with two-by-fours, indicating the shooter may have intended to trap people inside.
Students at the Catholic elementary school, which opened for classes on Monday, were in mass when the gunman stormed the connected church.
The school serves children from kindergarten through eighth grade.
“I’ve been briefed on a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School and will continue to provide updates as we get more information,” Governor Tim Walz said.
“The BCA and State Patrol are on scene. I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence.”
Classes at Annunciation Catholic School had just begun on Monday, and students were attending mass this morning when a gunman opened fire, Fox 9 reported.
