Anti-Catholic hate crime? FBI gives update on Minneapolis church shooting
Robin Westman named as Minneapolis school shooter
Federal investigators have confirmed they are treating the recent mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis as a hate-driven act of domestic terrorism. The attack, which left two children dead and 17 others wounded, has shocked the city and reignited urgent conversations about gun violence and religious persecution in the United States.
According to the FBI, the gunman—identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman—opened fire on Wednesday morning while children attended Mass inside the adjoining church. Armed with multiple weapons, including a rifle, shotgun, and handgun, Westman fired repeatedly through the stained-glass windows. Police later recovered a smoke bomb at the scene.
Tragically, two young victims, aged 8 and 10, were killed during the assault. Witnesses described the horror of gunshots erupting during the service, with one survivor recalling how his friend shielded him from bullets by lying on top of him, suffering injuries in the process.
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Westman died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators are still analyzing a note he attempted to post online at the time of the attack. The suspect’s mother, a retired staff member at the school, was previously connected to the institution, deepening the sense of betrayal felt in the community.
Expressions of grief poured in following the tragedy. Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, said he was “profoundly saddened” by the deaths, while Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara condemned the “cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children.” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz vowed that “Minnesotans will not step away” in the face of such violence.
Updates on the shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota:
The FBI is investigating this shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics.
There were 2 fatalities, an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old. In addition, 14 children and 3 adults were injured.
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) August 27, 2025
Federal and local law enforcement agencies continue to investigate the incident. While officials have not disclosed a definitive motive, FBI Director Kash Patel emphasized that evidence points to an anti-Catholic hate crime. President Donald Trump has also offered condolences, ordering the U.S. flag to be flown at half-mast in honor of the victims.
The Annunciation Catholic community, which educates children between the ages of 5 and 14, is now grappling with profound grief, mourning not only the loss of young lives but also the violation of what should have been a safe haven of worship and learning.
