The shooter who killed two children and wounded at least 17 others at a Catholic school in Minneapolis on Wednesday has been identified as a transgender woman, while police have also discovered disturbing videos he posted that show a handwritten ‘manifesto’ and “kill Donald Trump” along with “for the children” written on gun magazines.
Robin Westman, a biological male formerly known as Robert Westman, opened fire through the stained-glass windows of Annunciation Catholic School, where he had once been a student, during a back-to-school Mass around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said at a press conference that just hours before the attack, Westman, 23, posted several videos to YouTube, the New York Post reported.
In a 20-minute video, Westman displayed a handwritten manifesto, much of it written in a crude code combining Cyrillic characters with English phonetics.
In the writings, he also fantasizes about “being that scary horrible monster standing over those powerless kids” while confessing admiration for the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre.
Court records show that Westman petitioned to change his birth name from Robert to Robin in Dakota County, Minn., at age 17. The request was approved in January 2020. The court filing added that Westman “identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.”
Five years later, The Post noted, he appeared to have backed off somewhat from the trans identity.
“I don’t want to dress girly all the time but I guess sometimes I really like it. I know I am not a woman but I definitely don’t feel like a man,” he wrote.
“I really like my outfit. I look pretty, smart and modest. I think I want to wear something like this for my shooting,” the sicko added.
He described in detail his decision to target Annunciation, where he graduated from grade school in 2017, according to a yearbook obtained by CNN. His mother, Mary Grace Westman, worked as a secretary at the school until her retirement in 2021, according to a Facebook post from the church.
“I am feeling good about Annunciation. It seems like a good combo of easy attack form and devastating tragedy and I want to do more research. I have concerns about finding a large enough group. I want to avoid any parents, but pre and post school drop off,” says another page in the manifesto, The Post added.
“Maybe I could attack an event at the on-site church,” he ominously added. “I think attacking a large group of kids coming in from recess is my best plan … Then from there I can go inside and kill, going for as long as I can.”
Toward the end of the video, Westman flips through several blank pages before stopping at a sketch of a church interior, remarking, “Haha, nice.” He then produces a knife, stabs the drawing, briefly hesitates as his hand shakes, and mutters softly, “kill myself.”
In a video titled “So long and thanks for all the fish,” Westman slowly flips through a red notebook placed atop what appear to be gun schematics, including one labeled “Ruger Mark IV,” a small-caliber handgun.
As he turns the pages, smoke drifts across the screen, accompanied by coughing, scattered profanity, and bursts of laughter, The Post added.
“I have had thoughts about mass murder for a long time. I am very conflicted with writing this journal,” said one of his scribblings, which was translated by The Post. “I need to get my thoughts out without getting on a watchlist haha!”
The journal also contains clues to Westman’s identity, reflecting a mix of far-left politics and antisemitism. One page shows a trans pride flag sticker reading “Defend equality,” overlaid with a black AK-47 decal.