Robin Westman’s troubled life — Minneapolis church shooter went through recent breakup before deadly attack
Weapons with disturbing messages linked to Minneapolis school shooter Robin Westman surface online
Investigators are uncovering new details about Robin Westman, the 23-year-old gunman behind the Minneapolis Catholic school tragedy that left two children dead and 18 others wounded during Wednesday’s morning Mass at Annunciation Church.
According to Fox News, search warrants reveal that Westman had recently endured a breakup and was staying with an older friend in St. Louis Park after moving out of his Richfield apartment. His father, James Westman, confirmed the breakup to authorities. Police later searched the elder Westman’s home in Minneapolis, seizing a tactical vest, digital storage devices, and miscellaneous documents.
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The attack shocked the community when Westman entered the church dressed in black tactical gear and armed with multiple long guns. He opened fire during services, killing two children aged 8 and 10 and injuring worshippers, many of them students at the church’s elementary school. The van he drove to the scene was registered to his father. Westman was later found dead inside the church from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Records show Westman was born Robert Paul Westman before legally changing his name in 2019. His mother, Mary Grace Westman—who works at Annunciation Catholic Church—was listed on the court filing for the name change. Authorities say Westman attended the church school until the eighth grade.
In the days following the attack, federal investigators visited a Florida condominium owned by Mary Westman, though officials later clarified a welfare check carried out there prior to the shooting was unrelated to the suspect or his family. Despite repeated attempts, police say Mary Westman has not cooperated with the investigation. Through her attorney, she has denied involvement, stating she is “deeply distraught” and has hired legal counsel to handle inquiries.
Authorities have also linked Robin Westman to a series of disturbing online posts. Videos uploaded to YouTube under his name showed weapons with painted messages, handwritten notes, and rambling commentary. Police say the material resembled manifestos and appeared to have been filmed at or near the crime scene. The videos have since been removed.
Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that all three firearms recovered at the scene were purchased legally, as Westman had no prior criminal record. However, NBC News reports that he had been the subject of a multi-agency police response to a mental health incident at a previous address in 2018.
The case has renewed debate over Minnesota’s “Extreme Risk Protection Orders,” a red flag law intended to prevent dangerous individuals from accessing firearms. Critics argue the system only works when families or authorities raise concerns in advance—a safeguard that tragically did not prevent the violence at Annunciation.
Outside the church, a growing memorial of flowers and crosses stands as a sobering reminder of the lives lost and the community forever changed by the shooting.