(The Center Square) – A total of 18 victims were injured and two were killed in a Wednesday shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, a total reached after an additional victim was identified.
An 8-year-old and 10-year-old were killed. The victims have not been identified. The shooter was identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman after Westman died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the back of the Church of Annunciation. Westman was born male and named Robert at birth, but identified as female and was named Robin at the time of the shooting.
Police found three firearms on the shooter and more were found as police used search warrants to search the church and three other Minneapolis locations. Police say the shooter acted alone and bought the guns legally.
Minneapolis officials are asking those looking to assist to donate through the Minneapolis Foundation and its text-to-donate line. By texting ACF1 to 41444. The Minneapolis Foundation said it will equitably distribute the funds to those affected.
Police found shells from 116 rifle rounds, three shotgun rounds and one pistol round at the scene, according to said Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said.
The shooter was not able to enter the church because the church began a security practice of locking the doors once Mass began. The shooter attempted to barricade a door to prevent exit from the church, O'Hara said.
The four search warrants executed related to the case were at the church, South Minneapolis, Richfield and St. Louis Park. Police recovered writings, electronics and more firearms from the search.
The shooter had what O’Hara described as a “deranged fascination” with other mass shooters and writings showing hatred against groups and people while looking at the plans of other mass shooters.
“When something terrible happens, the public expects law enforcement to provide some explanation for what happened,” O’Hara said. “But, the reality is, this is an unthinkable, completely senseless act. Violence perpetrated against children worshiping at mass.”
Joe Thompson, acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota, said at a Thursday news conference that the shooter left hundreds of pages of written material and "was obsessed with the idea of killing children. The shooter saw the attack as a way to target our most vulnerable among us. While they were at their most vulnerable at school and at church. I won't dignify the shooter's words by repeating them. They are horrific and vile. But in short, the shooter wanted to watch children suffer."
Gun-control groups such as Everytown for Gun Safety, Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action joined several Democratic Minnesota lawmakers including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Fey in an afternoon press conference advocating for bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines along with red-flag laws.
“Today we are talking about a school and a church but we know that, across the country, it is a school and a church and a concert and a grocery store and a movie theater and just going to work,” said Minnesota state Rep. Emma Greenman, DFL-Minneapolis. “Everyday people need to be safe doing everyday things.”
The lawmakers made the shooting a call to action for more gun laws.
“This is not a big issue for us to solve like curing cancer or AIDS, even though we attempt to do that every single day,” U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-5th Congressional said. “This is something that is simple. A simple ban to make sure people who should not have access to these weapons do not get them and then cause harm and trauma for generations to come in our communities.”
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