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Who was Robin Westman?
The Annunciation Church and School shooter has been identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman. FOX 9 has confirmed Westman’s mother previously worked at Annunciation. The shooter’s mother also applied to change her child’s name from Robert to Robin in Dakota County in 2019, according to court documents obtained by FOX 9. According to the name change filing, Westman identified “as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.”
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) – Two children were killed, and 17 others were injured in a shooting Wednesday morning at Annunciation Catholic Church in what police are calling a deliberate act of violence.
Here’s what’s known about the suspected shooter:
Annunciation Minneapolis shooting suspect Robin Westman
What we know:
The shooter has been identified as Robin Westman. FOX 9 has confirmed Westman’s mother previously worked at Annunciation. A Facebook post from the school says she left the school in 2021. The shooter’s mother also applied to change her child’s name from Robert to Robin in Dakota County in 2019, according to court documents obtained by FOX 9. According to the name change filing, Westman identified “as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.”
Federal officials have referred to Westman as transgender, according to The Associated Press. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey decried hatred being directed at “our transgender community” during a news conference Wednesday morning.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the suspect approached Annunciation Catholic Church on the exterior side of the building and began shooting through windows toward children and worshipers who were sitting in the pews during mass that was celebrating the first week of school.
O’Hara said the suspect died by suicide in the parking lot.
Annunciation Church shooting: What we know about Robin Westman
Two children were killed, and 17 others were injured in a shooting Wednesday morning at Annunciation Catholic Church in what police are calling a deliberate act of violence. Here’s what’s known about the suspected shooter, identified by authorities as Robin Westman. FOX 9’s Mike Manzoni has the latest.
The suspect was armed with a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol, and the suspect is believed to have fired all three into the church. O’Hara said the suspect did not have an extensive criminal history and purchased all the guns legally, noting the suspect did purchase them “recently.”
A motive is still under investigation, but O’Hara said Wednesday afternoon the suspect had a manifesto posted on YouTube that appeared to show the suspect at the scene and included some disturbing writings.
The video has been taken down with help from the FBI and is under review by investigators.
RELATED: Annunciation Church school shooting: What we know about the victims
What we don’t know:
A motive is also not known, and O’Hara said investigators are looking through any information left behind, including inside a vehicle believed to have been used by the suspect.
Police are executing four search warrants, one at the church where the crime occurred and three others at residences in the Twin Cities metro related to the shooter.
What they’re saying:
“This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshiping,” O’Hara said. “The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children, it’s absolutely incomprehensible.”
Minneapolis authorities hold a press conference detailing a shooting at the Annunciation church and school in Minneapolis. (FOX 9)
LIVE UPDATES: Shooting at Annunciation School in Minneapolis; suspect is dead, sources say
Local perspective:
The church and school are on the 500 block of West 54th Street in south Minneapolis, near the intersection of 54th and Lyndale.
What we know about Robin Westman
Dig deeper:
Westman attended St. Thomas Academy for freshman year.
In 2019, Westman legally changed her name from Robert to Robin. According to the name change filing, Westman identified “as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.”
Westman’s mom worked at Annunciation, but left the school in 2021.
This is a breaking news story. Refresh this page for updates.
The Source: Information in this article was taken from FOX 9 sources and from comments made by Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara during a press conference.
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