Two children were killed and another 17 people were injured on Wednesday when a black-clad gunman opened fire on students attending Mass at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, authorities said. The attack occurred on the third day of the school year.
Officials reported that the shooter fired through windows at students seated in pews and entering the church before taking his own life. Two students, aged 8 and 10, were pronounced dead at the scene.
Authorities identified the gunman as 23-year-old Robin Westman, referring to the attacker with masculine pronouns during press briefings. Court records indicate that Westman changed his name from Robert in 2020 after identifying as female.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey emphasized that the tragedy should not be used to target or harass the transgender community. “Anyone who uses this as an opportunity to vilify our transgender community or any other community has lost sight of our shared humanity,” he said.
Public records also revealed that Westman’s mother, Mary Westman, previously worked as a staff member at the Church of the Annunciation, where the shooting took place.
Source: ANA-MPA, Translated by: Konstantinos Menyktas
