Warning: this article discusses suicide, which some readers may find distressing.
The individual suspected of the tragic shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school, which resulted in the death of two young children, shared insights into their motivations for wanting to harm ‘so, so many people’ before taking their own life.
During Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church on August 27, two children, 10-year-old Harper Moyski and 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, were fatally shot by a 23-year-old identified by authorities as Robin Westman.
The attack left 18 others injured, including 15 children and three elderly parishioners.
Authorities revealed that prior to the alleged killings, Westman, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, had left a document, described as a ‘manifesto,’ detailing their intentions to commit murder.
According to law enforcement, much of the manifesto was encoded using Cyrillic characters and English phonetic words.
In one entry, dated July 1, the shooter, who was identified as female on their driver’s license and had changed their name in 2020, expressed that their mother, Mary Grace Westman, was ‘very antagonistic’ when they disclosed they were trans, claiming her reaction made them feel they would ‘never be good enough,’ according to the New York Post.
“I remember one day, she said something like, ‘In the future you will look back and feel ridiculous about who you feel like you are inside. You will regret this.'”
“Well guess what mom?! I regret being born.”
In another entry, Westman shared their inability to seek help from their mother.
“Your words, mother, made me stay in my discomfort unable to ask for help to avoid admitting defeat. You were right mama, but the way you handled it led me to wanting to kill so so many people,” the entry stated.
The manifesto also touched on Westman’s struggles with marijuana use and their feelings about gender identity.
“I wish I never tried experimenting with either. Don’t let your kids smoke weed,” they advised.
Westman expressed a desire to ‘stop vaping,’ suggesting that ceasing the use of e-cigarettes might prevent the attack.
“But I just don’t want to,” the alleged shooter continued.
Additionally, a separate note was reportedly written to Westman’s parents and friends, separate from the manifesto.
In this letter, Westman stated that their parents did not ‘fail’ them and acknowledged the love they received.
“I feel I was raised to be a good person. I’ve kept those traits of empathy, self-sacrifice, and good character. Please do not think you have failed as parents.”
Authorities reported that Mary Grace, who used to work at the Annunciation Catholic Church school before retiring, initially declined to cooperate with the investigation.
Minneapolis Assistant Chief Christopher Gaiters mentioned during a press briefing on August 29 that they have since had a ‘conversation’ with her.
CNN noted that the shooter, a former student of the school linked to the church, had recently visited the institution pretending to be interested in re-engaging with the Catholic faith.
There were indications that the shooter held anti-religious views.
Kash Patel, director of the FBI, stated that the crime is being investigated as an ‘act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics.’
U.S. President Trump condemned the shooting at the Minneapolis Catholic school and declared that flags would be flown at half-mast until August 31.
“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!” the President shared via Truth Social.
Data compiled by CNN identifies this incident as the 44th attack on American school students in the year 2025.
The shooting is still under investigation.
If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis, support is available through Mental Health America. You can call or text 988 to reach a 24-hour crisis center or visit 988lifeline.org for webchat support. You can also contact the Crisis Text Line by texting MHA to 741741.