{"id":117606,"date":"2025-08-29T04:00:08","date_gmt":"2025-08-29T04:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/117606\/"},"modified":"2025-08-29T04:00:08","modified_gmt":"2025-08-29T04:00:08","slug":"minneapolis-church-shooting-investigators-seek-motive-in-attack-on-children","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/117606\/","title":{"rendered":"Minneapolis church shooting: Investigators seek motive in attack on children"},"content":{"rendered":"

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) \u2014 The shooter who killed two Catholic school students<\/a> and wounded more than a dozen youngsters sitting in the pews of a Minneapolis church once attended the same school and was \u201cobsessed\u201d with the idea of killing children, authorities said Thursday. <\/p>\n

The shooter, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, fired 116 rifle rounds through stained-glass windows while the children celebrated Mass<\/a> during the first week of classes at the Annunciation Catholic School, said Minneapolis police Chief Brian O\u2019Hara.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Members<\/p>\n

Members of a Lutheran church charities comfort dog ministry sit and stand in front of the Annunciation Catholic Church after Wednesday\u2019s school shooting, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo\/Abbie Parr)<\/p>\n

Members of a Lutheran church charities comfort dog ministry sit and stand in front of the Annunciation Catholic Church after Wednesday\u2019s school shooting, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo\/Abbie Parr)<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is very clear that this shooter had the intention to terrorize those innocent children,\u201d O\u2019Hara said.<\/p>\n

Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said videos and writings the shooter left behind show that the shooter \u201cexpressed hate towards almost every group imaginable.\u201d <\/p>\n

The only group Westman did not hate was \u201cmass murderers,\u201d Thompson said. \u201cIn short, the shooter appeared to hate all of us.\u201d<\/p>\n

Investigators recovered hundreds of pieces of evidence from the church and three residences, the police chief said. They found more writings from the suspect, but no additional firearms or a clear motive for the attack on the church the shooter once attended. Westman had a \u201cderanged fascination\u201d with mass killings, O\u2019Hara said.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Kristen<\/p>\n

Kristen Neville, left, and Michael Burt cry and embrace each other at the doors of the Annunciation Catholic Church after Wednesday\u2019s school shooting, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo\/Abbie Parr)<\/p>\n

Kristen Neville, left, and Michael Burt cry and embrace each other at the doors of the Annunciation Catholic Church after Wednesday\u2019s school shooting, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo\/Abbie Parr)<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

\u201cNo evidence will ever be able to make sense of such an unthinkable tragedy,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Surveillance video captured the attack and showed the shooter never entered the church and could not see the children while firing through windows lined up with the pews, the police chief said. <\/p>\n

Grieving families speak of painful loss<\/p>\n

Family members described one of the victims, 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, as a boy who loved his family, fishing, cooking, and any sport he was allowed to play. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe will never be allowed to hold him, talk to him, play with him and watch him grow into the wonderful young man he was on the path to becoming,\u201d his father, Jesse, said while tearfully reading a statement outside the church on Thursday.<\/p>\n

The parents of the other victim, 10-year-old Harper Moyski, said in a statement that she was a bright and joyful child.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur hearts are broken not only as parents, but also for Harper\u2019s sister, who adored her big sister and is grieving an unimaginable loss,\u201d said Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin. \u201cAs a family, we are shattered, and words cannot capture the depth of our pain.\u201d<\/p>\n

They said they hope her memory helps drive leaders \u201cto take meaningful steps to address gun violence and the mental health crisis in this country.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Hennepin County Medical Examiner\u2019s office said they both died of gunshot wounds.<\/p>\n

City officials on Thursday increased to 15 the number of injured children, who are ages 6 to 15. Three parishioners in their 80s also were injured. Only one person \u2014 a child \u2014 was in critical condition.<\/p>\n

Westman, whose mother worked for the parish before retiring in 2021, left behind several videos and page upon page of writings describing a litany of grievances. One read: \u201cI know this is wrong, but I can\u2019t seem to stop myself.\u201d<\/p>\n

O\u2019Hara said Westman was armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol, and died by suicide.<\/p>\n

On a YouTube channel, videos that police say may have been posted by the shooter<\/a> show weapons and ammunition, and list the names of mass shooters. What appears to be a suicide note to family contains a confession of long-held plans to carry out a shooting and talk of being deeply depressed.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Flowers<\/p>\n

Flowers are placed near the Annunciation Catholic School after Wednesday\u2019s school shooting, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo\/Abbie Parr)<\/p>\n

Flowers are placed near the Annunciation Catholic School after Wednesday\u2019s school shooting, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo\/Abbie Parr)<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

Student shielded by a friend who was shot<\/p>\n

Rev. Dennis Zehren, who was inside the church<\/a> with the nearly 200 children, said the responsorial psalm \u2014 which spoke of light in the darkness \u2014 had almost ended when he heard someone yell, \u201cDown down, everybody down,\u201d and gunshots rang out.<\/p>\n

Fifth-grader Weston Halsne said he ducked for the pews, covering his head, shielded by a friend who was on top of him. His friend was hit, he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI was super scared for him, but I think now he\u2019s OK,\u201d the 10-year-old said.<\/p>\n

Authorities try to determine a motive<\/p>\n

FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that the attack<\/a> was an act of domestic terrorism motivated by hate-filled ideology, citing the shooter\u2019s statements against multiple religions and calls for violence against President Donald Trump.<\/p>\n

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz on Thursday sent state law enforcement officers to schools and churches in Minneapolis, saying no child should go to school worried about losing a classmate or gunshots erupting during prayer.<\/p>\n

On a YouTube channel titled Robin W, the person filming the video points to two windows in what appears to be a drawing of the church, then stabs it with a long knife.<\/p>\n

The now-deleted videos also show weapons and ammunition, scrawled with \u201ckill Donald Trump\u201d and \u201cWhere is your God?\u201d along with the names of past mass shooters. <\/p>\n

There also were hundreds of pages written in Cyrillic, a centuries-old script still used in Slavic countries. In one, Westman wrote, \u201cWhen will it end?\u201d <\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Amy<\/p>\n

Amy Dols, and her children, Archie and Paloma place flowers at a memorial at Annunciation Catholic Church after Wednesday\u2019s school shooting, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo\/Abbie Parr)<\/p>\n

Amy Dols, and her children, Archie and Paloma place flowers at a memorial at Annunciation Catholic Church after Wednesday\u2019s school shooting, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo\/Abbie Parr)<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

Lily Kletter, who graduated from Annunciation, recalled that Westman joined her class at some point in middle school and once hid in the bathroom to avoid going to Mass.<\/p>\n

\u201cI remember they had a crazy distaste for school, especially Annunciation, which I always thought was pretty interesting because their mom was on the parish board,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

Federal officials referred to Westman as transgender, and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey decried hatred being directed at \u201cour transgender community.\u201d Westman\u2019s gender identity wasn\u2019t clear. In 2020, a judge approved a petition, signed by Westman\u2019s mother, asking for a name change from Robert to Robin, saying the petitioner \u201cidentifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

A wreath of flowers is left on behalf of families of victims of the Robb Elementary School school shootings in Uvalde, Texas at Annunciation Catholic Church after Wednesday\u2019s school shooting, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo\/Abbie Parr)<\/p>\n

A wreath of flowers is left on behalf of families of victims of the Robb Elementary School school shootings in Uvalde, Texas at Annunciation Catholic Church after Wednesday\u2019s school shooting, Thursday, Aug. 28, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo\/Abbie Parr)<\/p>\n

Read More<\/p>\n

No criminal record<\/p>\n

There were no past arrests or anything in the shooter\u2019s background that would have prevented Westman from being able to legally purchase a firearm, investigators said Thursday.<\/p>\n

In response to a request for any records of police contact with the shooter in the last decade, the Eagan Police Department sent two documents, both heavily redacted. The first from 2018 is listed as a mental health call and welfare check for a child with parents 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 woman\u2019s address.<\/p>\n

A second report from 2016 involving a criminal complaint was entirely redacted.<\/p>\n

Police chief says officers rescued children who hid<\/p>\n

The police chief said the first officer ran into the church<\/a> four minutes after the initial 911 call and that more officers rendered first aid and rescued some of the children.<\/p>\n

Annunciation\u2019s principal Matt DeBoer said teachers and children alike responded heroically.<\/p>\n

\u201cChildren were ducked down. Adults were protecting children. Older children were protecting younger children,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Vincent Francoual said his 11-year-old daughter, Chloe, survived by running downstairs and hiding in a room with a table pushed against the door. He said she is struggling to communicate clearly about the traumatizing scene and that she thought she was going to die.<\/p>\n

Tess Rada said her 8-year-old daughter also hasn\u2019t said much about the shooting so she too doesn\u2019t know exactly what she saw. Loud noises and sirens have bothered her since the attack, Rada said.<\/p>\n

One of the children killed was her daughter\u2019s friend.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s kind of impossible,\u201d Rada said \u201cto wrap your head around how to tell an 8-year-old that her friend has been killed.\u201d<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

This story has been corrected to reflect that the police department\u2019s name is spelled Eagan, not Eagen.<\/p>\n

___<\/p>\n

Lauer reported from Philadelphia. Associated Press writers Sarah Raza in Sioux Falls, South Dakota; Giovanna Dell\u2019Orto 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.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"MINNEAPOLIS (AP) \u2014 The shooter who killed two Catholic school students and wounded more than a dozen youngsters…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":117607,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[23,3071,75983,12,793,7922,75982,75984,23865,75986,48296,4381,75985,16950,6429,6661,3,2229,75987,74731,4382,75981,8631,795,21,19,22,20,25,24,75980],"class_list":{"0":"post-117606","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-united-states","8":"tag-america","9":"tag-crime","10":"tag-dennis-zehren","11":"tag-donald-trump","12":"tag-general-news","13":"tag-gun-violence","14":"tag-harper-moyski","15":"tag-jackie-flavin","16":"tag-jacob-frey","17":"tag-james-westman","18":"tag-kash-patel","19":"tag-law-enforcement","20":"tag-lily-kletter","21":"tag-minneapolis","22":"tag-minnesota","23":"tag-mn-state-wire","24":"tag-news","25":"tag-religion","26":"tag-robin-w","27":"tag-robin-westman","28":"tag-shootings","29":"tag-tess-rada","30":"tag-tim-walz","31":"tag-u-s-news","32":"tag-united-states","33":"tag-united-states-of-america","34":"tag-unitedstates","35":"tag-unitedstatesofamerica","36":"tag-us","37":"tag-usa","38":"tag-vincent-francoual"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117606","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117606"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117606\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117607"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117606"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117606"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117606"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}