Two Children Killed, 17 Injured in Mass Shooting at Minneapolis Catholic Church
Minneapolis, Aug. 27, 2025 — A gunman armed with three firearms opened fire through stained-glass windows into a Catholic church during a school Mass on Wednesday, killing two children and injuring 17 others before taking his own life, authorities said.
The attack occurred at Annunciation Catholic School during its annual all-school Mass, attended by about 395 students. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the assailant, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, fired dozens of rounds from a rifle, shotgun, and pistol, all legally purchased. Police later recovered additional weapons from other locations linked to the suspect.
Two victims, aged 8 and 10, were killed instantly as worshippers dove for cover. Among the injured were 14 students, ages 6 to 18, and three parishioners in their 80s. Officials said all those wounded are expected to survive.
The violence, which authorities described as “a deliberate act of terror against children and worshippers,” ended when the suspect fatally shot himself inside the church. Investigators said at least two exits had been barricaded from the outside, trapping congregants inside during the assault.
FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the incident is being investigated as a hate crime and act of domestic terrorism targeting Catholics. Officials revealed that Westman, a former student of Annunciation School, left behind a suicide note and online videos referencing depression, admiration for past mass shooters, and scattered political grievances. Authorities said names of other school shooters were found scrawled on one of Westman’s rifle magazines.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristie Noem said the suspect identified as transgender, though Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey urged against politicizing the tragedy. “Anyone using this moment to vilify the trans community or any other group has lost their sense of common humanity,” Frey said, while linking the nation’s recurring mass shootings to the easy availability of firearms.
President Donald Trump ordered flags flown at half-staff nationwide in mourning for the victims.
The attack marks the 146th incident of gun violence at a U.S. school this year, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database. Unlike most school shootings, police noted, this assailant fired from outside into the church before entering.
Westman had no prior criminal record and was previously employed at a Minnesota cannabis dispensary, which confirmed he no longer worked there. Public records show the suspect’s mother once worked as an administrative assistant at Annunciation Church.
Authorities stressed that the shooting was unrelated to three other incidents of gun violence in Minneapolis over the past 24 hours.
