Minneapolis: Disturbing details have emerged about the shooter who stormed Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, killing two children and injuring 17 others during a weekday Mass. The assailant, identified as Robin Westman, who was born Robert and later identified as a transgender woman, posted a chilling YouTube video before the attack that revealed a violent anti-Christian motivation, fascination with mass murderers, and links to Satanic and extremist rhetoric. Westman died by suicide after unleashing gunfire on worshippers, most of whom were children attending the parish school next door.
The video, later removed by YouTube, contained a handwritten apology directed only to friends and family, while openly stating contempt for the children targeted in the assault. “I’m not well. I’m not right,” Westman confessed on camera, admitting that he had long harbored the desire to carry out such violence. In one disturbing segment, Westman filmed a target mannequin with an image of Christ crowned with thorns taped to its head. Below the image were the words: “He came to pay a debt he didn’t owe because we owe a debt we cannot repay.” Laughing, the shooter zoomed in while revealing rifles and magazines marked with phrases such as “Where’s your God?” and “Do you believe in God?”
Weapons bore blasphemous inscriptions mocking Christian liturgy, including “Take this all of you and eat,” a parody of Christ’s words at the Last Supper. Symbols of Satanism an inverted pentagram, the number 666, and an upside-down cross were scrawled across the arsenal.
Investigators noted that Westman had emblazoned the names of notorious mass killers on his weapons, paying homage to figures such as Norwegian neo-Nazi Anders Behring Breivik, Christchurch mosque attacker Brenton Tarrant, and Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza. The repeated references underscored a disturbing admiration for violent extremists.
The video also carried deeply antisemitic and racist messages. One grenade displayed the words “Jew gas,” while another chilling statement read “6 million wasn’t enough,” in reference to the Holocaust. Additional slurs targeted Hispanic, Black, Arab, Indian, and Muslim communities. Written slogans included “Nuke India” and “Remove Kebab,” both drawn from extremist internet subcultures. Even U.S. political figures were not spared; some writings threatened former President Donald Trump.
Westman also invoked cultural and meme references, ranging from the film Joker to extremist online slogans. The shooter flashed the “OK” hand symbol in the video, a gesture generally benign but occasionally co-opted by white supremacists. Analysts believe this may have been a nod to 15-year-old Natalie Rupnow, who attacked Abundant Life Christian School and was part of extremist networks that merged neo-Nazi, racist, and Satanic ideologies.
Although direct ties between Westman and these networks remain unconfirmed, experts see clear parallels in rhetoric, symbolism, and ideological messaging.
The attack has devastated the Minneapolis Catholic community, raising profound questions about how online hate, extremist propaganda, and glorification of past shooters continue to inspire new acts of mass violence. The deliberate mockery of Christ, the use of Satanic symbols, and the targeted assault on children during Mass have compounded the sense of horror for both parishioners and broader faith communities.
Authorities continue to investigate Westman’s digital footprint, hoping to determine whether the assailant acted alone or was connected to broader extremist networks. Meanwhile, grief and disbelief hang heavy over Annunciation Catholic Church, where a day of prayer turned into a nightmare of unimaginable violence.