Minneapolis Shooter Identified as a Trans Woman Who was Anti-Trump

A devastating tragedy shook Minneapolis Wednesday morning when a lone shooter opened fire during Mass at Annunciation Catholic School, killing two children and injuring 17 others before taking their own life.

Authorities identified the shooter as 23-year-old Robin M. Westman, a transgender woman who legally changed her name from Robert in 2020. Westman’s mother, a retired school secretary, previously worked at Annunciation until 2021.

Police confirmed Westman was armed with three legally purchased firearms — a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol. All were used during the attack.

According to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, Westman approached the church through a side entrance and fired through stained-glass windows into the pews where children and parishioners were gathered.

“This was an act of pure evil,” O’Hara said. “A deliberate attack on innocent children during a sacred moment of prayer. There’s no making sense of it.”

Among the dead are two students, ages 8 and 10. At least 14 children and three adults remain hospitalized with injuries ranging from gunshot wounds to shrapnel trauma.

Investigators are reviewing a now-deleted YouTube account believed to belong to Westman. Hours before the attack, a 20-minute video was uploaded showing gun parts marked with the names of other mass shooters and one alarming message: “Kill Donald Trump.”

Law enforcement officials say the manifesto includes anti-religious rhetoric, antisemitic remarks, and disturbing sketches of churches.

The FBI confirmed the shooting is being investigated as a potential hate crime and an act of domestic terrorism.

President Donald Trump addressed the nation Wednesday afternoon, calling the attack “an unspeakable tragedy” and vowing to ensure justice for the victims.

“These were little children, in a house of God, on American soil,” Trump said from the White House. “This is a wake-up call. We are going to find out how this was allowed to happen and make sure it never happens again.”

Democrats, meanwhile, urged caution against politicizing the incident. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey condemned both the violence and the backlash aimed at the trans community:

“People want to make this about identity. It shouldn’t be. Children died today. Let’s focus on them,” Frey said.

Parents gathered outside Annunciation in shock, many holding rosaries and embracing their children.

One father, visibly shaken, said: “I sent my daughter to pray, not to die. Someone has to answer for how this was missed.”

Annunciation Catholic School, founded in 1923, serves nearly 400 students from pre-K through eighth grade. Parents have already begun pressing officials for stronger security measures, including controlled campus access and real-time threat monitoring.