Details Emerge About Minneapolis Church Shooter

A 23-year-old man opened fire at a Minneapolis church and school, resulting in the deaths of two children and injuring 17 others before taking his own life. The incident occurred during a morning Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church, where students were gathered in prayer.

Prior to the attack, the shooter, identified as Robin Westman, uploaded a handwritten manifesto online. In it, he expressed frustration with his gender identity and his transition, revealing a desire to abandon his identity as a trans woman. He wrote, “I only keep [the long hair] because it is pretty much my last shred of being trans. I am tired of being trans, I wish I never brain-washed myself.”

Westman described the struggle of maintaining his appearance, saying, “I can’t cut my hair now as it would be an embarrassing defeat, and it might be a concerning change of character that could get me reported. It just always gets in my way. I will probably chop it on the day of the attack.”

Court records indicate Westman changed his name from Robert to Robin at age 17, formally identifying as female at the time. However, in recent writings, he hinted at internal conflicts, noting, “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.”