Robin Westman Identified as Suspect in Tragic Annunciation Church Shooting That Left 2 Kids Dead – Disturbing Details Emerge

Firearms, a disturbing manifesto, and emotional accounts from a young churchgoer and parents have emerged as authorities identified the suspect in the Minneapolis church shooting.

What began as a peaceful student Mass ended in unspeakable terror when a lone gunman opened fire inside a Minneapolis church on August 27, 2025, targeting children in their pews and leaving the community reeling from unthinkable loss.

Authorities have now identified the shooter, who left a trail of disturbing online content and a handwritten manifesto revealing years of inner turmoil.

Shooting Shatters Sacred Service

The congregation had gathered at Annunciation Church when gunfire erupted — tearing through stained glass windows and shattering the sanctuary's peace. According to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara, the attacker "began firing a rifle through church windows."

O'Hara added, "The shooter fired towards the children sitting in the pews at the Mass." He stated that a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol were all fired during the assault.

The City of Minneapolis issued a public alert, urging residents to avoid the area. First responders arrived swiftly, but the toll was already devastating: two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed. Meanwhile, 17 others were wounded, 14 of them children. Two remain in critical condition.

A Troubled Suspect with a Dark Trail

Authorities named the shooter as Robin Westman, a local resident in her early 20s. O'Hara said Westman is believed to be dead. According to KSTP, Westman legally changed her name from Robert in 2020 and is reported to have identified as a woman.

Though Westman had no extensive criminal history, a now-deleted YouTube channel revealed a deeply disturbed and hateful ideology — including videos featuring firearms, anti-religious symbols, white supremacist imagery, and racial slurs.

Also recovered was a handwritten, four-page manifesto, addressed to her family and friends. In it, Westman documented years of mental deterioration, hopelessness, and emotional isolation.

"I don't expect forgiveness...I do apologize for the effects my actions will have on your lives," the letter began.

Westman further wrote, "I have wanted this for so long. I am not well. I am not right. I am a sad person, haunted by these thoughts that do not go away. I know this is wrong, but I can't seem to stop myself."

Eyewitness Recounts Horror as Parents Describe Panic

Among the children inside was Weston Halsne, who was caught dangerously close to the attack. "I was like two seats away from the stained glass windows. So they were like, the shots were like right next to me." Weston told KSTP-TV.

"My friend got hit in the back. He went to the hospital," he said. "I was super scared for him. But I think now he's okay." He said he hid under a pew before being moved to the school gym with other students, and was later reunited with his mother, who had been anxiously waiting outside.

Carla Maldonado, a parent whose two children survived, described the panic she and her husband, Pedro, felt when they arrived at the church. Her husband began shouting for their children in fear, before they found their 7-year-old daughter in the parking lot. Their 11-year-old son had been hiding in the basement.

"I have such mixed feelings right now, so many of them," Maldonado shared. "But I am just incredibly grateful that this school did and had been preparing and also just incredibly sad and angry that this has to be a thing in any school."

She said school shootings have become so common, they feel "like a broken record." Maldonado added that many parents share the same fear and frustration, and emphasized that even one life lost is too many.

The U.S. President Calls for Prayer as Flags Lowered

President Donald Trump addressed the tragedy on Truth Social, "I have been fully briefed on the tragic shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene. The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!"

Later that day, the White House ordered all U.S. flags to fly at half-staff through August 31 in memory of the victims.

What’s your reaction to this horrifying attack? Should more have been done to stop Robin Westman before it was too late? Let us know your thoughts.