Mother of Minneapolis Shooter Appeared in Daughter’s Short Film

The mother of Robin Westman, the transgender individual responsible for a mass shooting in Minneapolis, once starred in a short film created by her biological daughter, Faryl Amadeus. Mary Grace Westman, aged 67, played a role in the film “Mary Meets Grace”, which was written and directed by Amadeus, 44, who was adopted from Kentucky as a child.

This 2021 short film, showcased at various festivals, is a fictionalized retelling of Amadeus’ real-life reunion with her birth mother, Mary Grace, who reconnected with her in 2005 and met her biological father in 2012. Amadeus described her relationship with her birth mother as distinct from her bond with her adoptive mother, encompassing elements of friendship and self-discovery.

Amadeus, who was born in Kentucky and adopted into a Brooklyn family, pursued studies at NYU’s Tisch School of the Arts. Her filmmaking explores themes like family, grief, and the search for belonging. She has not been connected to the shooter’s recent letter to family members, nor was she involved in the events leading up to the tragic incident.

Robin Westman, who carried out the attack that injured 18 people and killed two children, graduated from the same Catholic school where his mother once worked as a secretary. Mary Grace divorced Robin’s father, James Westman, in 2013. Following the shooting, she returned from her home in Florida and retained legal counsel amidst investigations.