Mass shooter 'was a man claiming to be transgender' as FBI treat church killings as terrorism

Armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol, 23-year-old Robin Westman shot dozens of rounds on Wednesday morning towards the children sitting in the pews during Mass at the Annunciation Catholic School, Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara said.

The attacker then died by suicide, he said.

The children who died were eight and 10.

Fourteen other children and three octogenarian parishioners were wounded but expected to survive, the chief said.

Federal officials referred to Westman as transgender, and Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey decried hatred being directed at “our transgender community”.

Westman’s gender identity was not clear.

In 2020, a judge approved a petition, signed by Westman’s mother, asking for a name change from Robert to Robin, saying the petitioner “identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification”.

The BBC reported that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Westman was a "man, claiming to be transgender".

FBI director Kash Patel said on X that the shooting is being investigated as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.

Westman’s mother had worked at the church for five years, retiring in 2021, according to a church Facebook post that year.

It is not clear if Robin Westman ever attended the church or had been enrolled at the school.

Mr O’Hara said police had not determined a motive for the bloodshed.

The chief said, however, that investigators were examining a social media post that appeared to show the attacker at the scene.

Mr O’Hara, who gave the wounded youngsters’ ages as six to 15, said a wooden plank was placed to barricade some of the side doors and that authorities found a smoke bomb at the scene.

On a YouTube channel titled Robin W, the alleged attacker released at least two videos before the channel was taken down on Wednesday.