Robin Westman Posted Disturbing Manifesto Before Minneapolis Church Shooting

Authorities in Minneapolis are still piecing together the disturbing details behind the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church, where two children were killed and 17 others wounded before the gunman, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, turned the weapon on herself. Investigators have now uncovered a trail of chilling online content, including videos, notes, and a manifesto that revealed the depth of Westman’s despair and hatred in the days leading up to the attack.

Court records show that Westman, who legally changed her name from Robert to Robin in 2020, once attended Annunciation Catholic School, the very place she returned to with weapons and violence. Police say she legally purchased three firearms earlier this year, all of which were used during the assault. But beyond the weapons, it is her digital footprint that has captured the attention of investigators and painted a picture of someone who had long been consumed by dark and violent thoughts.

In the hours before the attack, a YouTube account believed to belong to Westman briefly went live, posting several troubling videos. The clips showed her displaying firearms, ammunition, and a handwritten manifesto spread across four pages. Investigators quickly verified the material, which has since been removed from the platform, as authentic. Police Chief Brian O’Hara called the findings “deeply troubling” and said they would be central to understanding the shooter’s mindset.

The manifesto itself reads like a farewell letter to family and friends, beginning with the line: “I don’t expect forgiveness … I do apologize for the effects my actions will have on your lives.” It continues with confessions of despair, depression, and a long-standing obsession with suicidal thoughts. “I was corrupted by this world and have learned to hate what life is,” one passage reads. Another admits: “I know this is wrong, but I can’t seem to stop myself. I am severely depressed and have been suicidal for years. Only recently have I lost all hope and decided to perform my final action against this world.” In a jarring contradiction, the letter ends with a request for prayers for the victims and their families.

The videos showed more than just weapons. Investigators described images of a shooting target decorated with the face of Jesus, piles of ammunition covered in anti-religious slogans, and firearms marked with the names of infamous mass shooters such as those responsible for the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre, the Tree of Life Synagogue attack in Pittsburgh, and the Christchurch mosque shootings in New Zealand. Other hateful references included racial slurs, white supremacist symbols, and even calls for Israel to “fall” and “burn.” One video captured Westman wearing a shirt patched with Minnesota’s old state flag, alongside the words: “Do it before the anxiety kicks in.”

Police also recovered a handwritten journal at Westman’s home, partly written in Cyrillic, with rough sketches of Annunciation Catholic Church. This discovery, combined with the videos and weapons cache, suggests the attack had been planned for weeks. Footage even showed her holding what appeared to be a smoke bomb, a device confirmed to have been used during the assault.

On Wednesday morning, the annual back-to-school Mass brought nearly 400 students and parishioners together inside the church. It was meant to mark the beginning of a new academic year, but it became a scene of terror when gunfire erupted through the stained-glass windows. Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed instantly, while 14 classmates and three elderly parishioners were injured. The congregation scrambled for cover as exits were found barricaded from the outside, intensifying the panic. Within minutes, Westman turned the gun on herself at the back of the church, ending the rampage but leaving devastation behind.

For law enforcement officials, the revelations about Westman’s mindset echo the patterns seen in other mass shootings: a history of depression, exposure to extremist material online, obsession with previous massacres, and a final manifesto designed to leave behind both explanation and infamy. FBI officials confirmed they are reviewing Westman’s digital history for possible ties to extremist groups and said the case is being investigated as both a hate crime and an act of domestic terrorism.

The community has been left shaken. For many at Annunciation, the fact that the shooter was once a student at their school made the attack even more painful. Relatives of Westman declined to comment publicly, but public records revealed her mother had once worked at the church. At a vigil Wednesday evening, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey urged the city to resist turning grief into division. “We will not let hate define who we are,” he said. “We mourn the children lost, we pray for the injured, and we stand together as a city determined to heal.”

As Minneapolis continues to grapple with rising gun violence, the shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church has become another stark reminder of how easily despair, hate, and access to firearms can converge in tragedy. Chief O’Hara said the investigation remains ongoing, but one fact is already clear: “This was an attack on children, on faith, and on the very sense of safety in our community.”