By Steve Karnowski, Mark Vancleave and Claudia Lauer
Related Press
MINNEAPOLIS — The shooter who killed two Catholic school students and wounded greater than a dozen children sitting within the pews of a Minneapolis church as soon as attended the identical faculty and was “obsessed” with the concept of killing kids, authorities stated Thursday.
The shooter, recognized as 23-year-old Robin Westman, fired 116 rifle rounds by way of stained-glass home windows whereas the children celebrated Mass through the first week of courses on the Annunciation Catholic College, stated Minneapolis police Chief Brian O’Hara.
“It is vitally clear that this shooter had the intention to terrorize these harmless kids,” O’Hara stated.
Performing U.S. Legal professional Joe Thompson stated movies and writings the shooter left behind present that the shooter “expressed hate in the direction of virtually each group possible.”
The one group Westman didn’t hate was “mass murderers,” Thompson stated. “Briefly, the shooter appeared to hate all of us.”
Investigators recovered lots of of items of proof from the church and three residences, the police chief stated. They discovered extra writings from the suspect, however no extra firearms or a transparent motive for the assault on the church the shooter as soon as attended. Westman had a “deranged fascination” with mass killings, O’Hara stated.
“No proof will ever be capable of make sense of such an unthinkable tragedy,” he stated.
Surveillance video captured the assault and confirmed the shooter by no means entered the church and couldn’t see the kids whereas firing by way of home windows lined up with the pews, the police chief stated.
Authorities attempt to decide a motive
FBI Director Kash Patel stated on X that the attack was an act of home terrorism motivated by hate-filled ideology, citing the shooter’s statements in opposition to a number of religions and requires violence in opposition to President Donald Trump.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday despatched state legislation enforcement officers to varsities and church buildings in Minneapolis, saying no youngster ought to go to high school frightened about dropping a classmate or gunshots erupting throughout prayer.
On a YouTube channel titled Robin W, the particular person filming the video factors to 2 home windows in what seems to be a drawing of the church, then stabs it with a protracted knife.
The now-deleted movies additionally present weapons and ammunition, scrawled with “kill Donald Trump” and “The place is your God?” together with the names of previous mass shooters.
There additionally had been lots of of pages written in Cyrillic, a centuries-old script nonetheless utilized in Slavic nations. In a single, Westman wrote, “When will it finish?”
Lily Kletter, who graduated from Annunciation, recalled that Westman joined her class in some unspecified time in the future in center faculty and as soon as hid within the lavatory to keep away from going to Mass.
“I keep in mind that they had a loopy distaste for college, particularly Annunciation, which I at all times thought was fairly fascinating as a result of their mother was on the parish board,” she stated.
Federal officers referred to Westman as transgender, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey decried hatred being directed at “our transgender neighborhood.” Westman’s gender id wasn’t clear. In 2020, a decide accepted a petition, signed by Westman’s mom, asking for a reputation change from Robert to Robin, saying the petitioner “identifies as a feminine and needs her title to replicate that identification.”
Grieving households converse of painful loss
Members of the family described one of many victims, 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, as a boy who cherished his household, fishing, cooking, and any sport he was allowed to play.
“We are going to by no means be allowed to carry him, discuss to him, play with him and watch him develop into the fantastic younger man he was on the trail to changing into,” his father, Jesse, stated whereas tearfully studying a press release exterior the church on Thursday.
The dad and mom of the opposite sufferer, 10-year-old Harper Moyski, stated in a press release that she was a brilliant and joyful youngster.
“Our hearts are damaged not solely as dad and mom, but in addition for Harper’s sister, who adored her huge sister and is grieving an unimaginable loss,” stated Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin. “As a household, we’re shattered, and phrases can’t seize the depth of our ache.”
They stated they hope her reminiscence helps drive leaders “to take significant steps to deal with gun violence and the psychological well being disaster on this nation.”
The Hennepin County Medical Examiner’s workplace stated they each died of gunshot wounds.
Metropolis officers on Thursday elevated to fifteen the variety of injured kids, who’re ages 6 to fifteen. Three parishioners of their 80s additionally had been injured. Just one particular person — a baby — was in essential situation.
Westman, whose mom labored for the parish earlier than retiring in 2021, left behind a number of movies and web page upon web page of writings describing a litany of grievances. One learn: “I do know that is incorrect, however I can’t appear to cease myself.”
O’Hara stated Westman was armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol, and died by suicide.
On a YouTube channel, movies that police say could have been posted by the shooter present weapons and ammunition, and record the names of mass shooters. What seems to be a suicide notice to household accommodates a confession of long-held plans to hold out a capturing and discuss of being deeply depressed.
Scholar shielded by a buddy who was shot
Rev. Dennis Zehren, who was inside the church with the almost 200 kids, stated the responsorial psalm — which spoke of sunshine within the darkness — had virtually ended when he heard somebody yell, “Down down, all people down,” and gunshots rang out.
Fifth-grader Weston Halsne stated he ducked for the pews, overlaying his head, shielded by a buddy who was on prime of him. His buddy was hit, he stated.
“I used to be tremendous scared for him, however I feel now he’s OK,” the 10-year-old stated.
No felony file
There have been no previous arrests or something within the shooter’s background that may have prevented Westman from having the ability to legally buy a firearm, investigators stated Thursday.
In response to a request for any information of police contact with the shooter within the final decade, the Eagan Police Division despatched two paperwork, each closely redacted. The primary from 2018 is listed as a psychological well being name and welfare examine for a kid with dad and mom Mary Grace Westman and James Westman. The case was listed as closed and the narrative was redacted after the officer wrote she responded to the lady’s tackle.
A second report from 2016 involving a felony criticism was solely redacted.
Police chief says officers rescued kids who hid
The police chief stated the primary officer ran into the church 4 minutes after the preliminary 911 name and that extra officers rendered first assist and rescued a number of the kids.
Annunciation’s principal Matt DeBoer stated lecturers and youngsters alike responded heroically.
“Youngsters had been ducked down. Adults had been defending kids. Older kids had been defending youthful kids,” he stated.
Vincent Francoual stated his 11-year-old daughter, Chloe, survived by operating downstairs and hiding in a room with a desk pushed in opposition to the door. He stated she is struggling to speak clearly in regards to the traumatizing scene and that she thought she was going to die.
Tess Rada stated her 8-year-old daughter additionally hasn’t stated a lot in regards to the capturing so she too doesn’t know precisely what she noticed. Loud noises and sirens have bothered her for the reason that assault, Rada stated.
One of many kids killed was her daughter’s buddy.
“It’s type of not possible,” Rada stated “to wrap your head round methods to inform an 8-year-old that her buddy has been killed.”
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Lauer reported from Philadelphia. Related Press writers Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Giovanna Dell’Orto in Minneapolis; Hannah Fingerhut in Des Moines, Iowa; Jack Dura in Bismarck, North Dakota; Sarah Brumfield in Cockeysville, Maryland; Hallie Golden in Seattle and Alanna Durkin Richer in Washington, D.C., contributed to this report.
