Minneapolis Catholic School Shooter Identified as Trans-Identifying Man

The shooter who opened fire at a Catholic school and church in Minneapolis on Wednesday has been identified as Robin Westman, a 23-year-old transgender-identifying man.

Westman killed at least two people and injured as many as 17 others before killing himself, police said.

Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed in the shooting, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara. Fourteen of the 17 injured were children.

Local outlet KARE identified Westman as the shooter, citing police sources. Law enforcement sources told the outlet that Westman grew up in the area and that his mother was an employee at Annunciation School before her retirement in 2021.

Documents show Westman applied to change his birth name from Robert to Robin in January 2020 at the age of 17.

Police said they are investigating an apparent video manifesto published to YouTube Wednesday morning at 9 a.m. by a person with the same name as the shooter.

The video appeared to show a young man struggling with mental illness, as he shared incoherent political messaging written on magazines filled with ammunition including "kill Donald Trump," "Israel Must Fall," "Jew Gas," "6 Million Wasn't Enough," "For the Children" and "Nuke India."

Law enforcement responded to the Annunciation church just after 8:30 a.m. following reports of heavy gunfire. The school, which serves students in kindergarten through eighth grade, is located next-door to the church.

A weekly “all-school mass” had been scheduled to take place at 8:15 a.m., according to the school’s website.

Westman, who has no extensive criminal history, approached from the outside of the building and fired a rifle through the church windows, police said.

The suspect was armed with a rifle, a shot gun and a pistol. Police said they believe he fired all three guns and it was not immediately clear whether he was lawfully carrying the weapons.

"This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshipping," O'Hara said.

Authorities were still looking to determine a motive for the shooting as of Wednesday afternoon, though FBI director Kash Patel said the shooting is being investigated as domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.

Earlier on Wednesday, Mayor Jacob Frey issued a statement saying, "Don't just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now. These kids were literally praying."

“It was the first week of school," he said. "They were in a church. These are kids that should be learning with their friends. They should be playing on the playground. They should be able to go to school or church in peace, without the fear or risk of violence. And their parents should have the same kind of assurance. These are the sort of basic assurances that every family should have every step of the day, regardless of where they are in our country.”

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, meanwhile, said he had been briefed on the shooting and would continue to provide updates.

“I’m praying for our kids and teachers whose first week of school was marred by this horrific act of violence,” he said.

President Donald Trump said in a post on Truth Social that he had been "fully briefed on the tragic shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota."

"The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene. The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved," he said.

On Tuesday, a gunman opened fire on a group of people on a Minneapolis sidewalk across the street from nearby Cristo Rey Jesuit High School, killing one person and injuring six others. The shooter in that incident remained at-large as of Wednesday.

Law enforcement said Wednesday that the Annunciation shooting "does not appear to be related to any other shooting in the city."