Investigators in the US say the gunman responsible for the Minneapolis school shooting, who opened fire on pupils as they prayed in church was “obsessed with the idea of killing children.”
According to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, 23-year-old Robin Westman- identified by officials as a man who self-declared as a woman- killed two children and injured 18 others. O’Hara said: “It appears the shooter hated us all. Above all, the shooter wanted to kill children.”
The two murdered children have been identified by their families as eight-year-old Fletcher Merkel and ten-year-old Harper Moiski, the BBC reports.
Families mourn young victims
“Yesterday, a coward decided to take our eight-year-old son Fletcher,” father Jesse Merkel told reporters.
“Fletcher loved his family, his friends, fishing, cooking, and whatever sport he was allowed to play. Give your kids an extra hug and kiss today. We love you, Fletcher. You will always be with us,” he said tearfully.
The father of 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, one of the children killed in the Annunciation school shooting, delivered an emotional statement outside the Minneapolis church. Calling the gunman a “coward,” Jesse Merkel urged people to “remember Fletcher for the person he was and not… pic.twitter.com/LrluLYyC9j
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 29, 2025
The parents of Harper Moiski- Michael Moiski and Jackie Flavin- said their daughter “was a bright, joyful, deeply beloved 10-year-old whose laughter, kindness and spirit touched everyone who knew her.”
“As a family we are devastated, and words cannot describe the depth of our pain,” they said. They added that they hope Harper’s memory “will be a source of action to end gun violence. No family should suffer this pain. Change is possible and necessary, so Harper’s story is not just another in a long line of tragedies.”
Details of the attack
Officials said Westman had once attended the church school, where their mother also worked. The 23-year-old is believed to have approached the side of the Church of the Annunciation, which also houses a school, and fired dozens of shots through the windows with three weapons. Police also found a smoke bomb at the scene.
Witnesses described seeing children bleeding as they fled the church, begging strangers for help.
Acting US Attorney General for Minnesota Joseph Thompson said Thursday that “the shooter expressed hatred toward many groups, including the Jewish community and President Trump.”
Westman died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot. Officials said the attacker left a note, but the ultimate motive may never be fully known. “I will not give value to the words of the shooter by repeating them- they are horrific and vile,” Thompson said.
The Minneapolis school shooter who killed two children wrote phrases in Russian like "kill yourself," "help me!" “I am terrorist,” and “when will this end?" He also listened to Russian rap artists.
— Euromaidan Press (@EuromaidanPress) August 27, 2025
Robin Westman wrote much of his manifesto using Cyrillic script to spell out… pic.twitter.com/bgr0WOHXLe
A history of obsession and hate
Court records show that Westman’s name was legally changed from Robert to Robin in 2020, with a judge writing: “The minor child identifies as female.” But some federal officials and police referred to Westman as male when discussing the attack.
Chief O’Hara urged media to stop using the shooter’s name: “Their purpose was to gain publicity.” He said Westman, “like so many other mass shooters we have seen in this country and around the world, had a twisted obsession with previous massacres.”
US authorities have long warned that mass killings can inspire copycat attacks, as perpetrators seek notoriety.
FBI and ATF report: hate-fuelled attack
FBI Director Kash Patel described the incident as “an act of domestic terrorism fuelled by a hate ideology.”
In a post on X, Patel said the shooter “left multiple anti-Catholic and anti-religious messages” written on weapons and in notes found by investigators.
“The individual expressed hatred and violence against Jews, writing ‘Israel must fall’, ‘Freedom for Palestine’, as well as Holocaust-related obscenities,” Patel said. The gunman also wrote a direct call for violence against President Trump on a weapon magazine.
As we continue to investigate yesterday’s barbaric attack from Robert Westman, the male subject, our teams have gathered information and evidence demonstrating this was an act of domestic terrorism motivated by a hate-filled ideology.
— FBI Director Kash Patel (@FBIDirectorKash) August 28, 2025
Some updates:
-Subject left multiple…
Authorities confirmed Westman had attended the Annunciation school in the past. His mother, Mary Grace Westman, who worked there until her 2021 retirement, has not responded to police attempts to contact her.
They also confirmed searches had been conducted at three homes linked to Westman, who lived in a Minneapolis suburb. Police noted the church had locked its doors before Mass began, which may have saved many lives.
Weapons and aftermath
The guns used in the Minneapolis school shooting were legally purchased. Westman was not on any government watchlist and there is no evidence of psychiatric treatment.
Witnesses and relatives of the victims described terrifying scenes of violence to the BBC.
In the aftermath, several lawmakers, including Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, called on the state to ban automatic weapons.
“There is no reason someone should be able to fire 30 rounds before needing to reload,” Frey said, also urging a ban on high-capacity magazines.
“This is not your father’s hunting rifle. These are weapons designed to pierce armour and kill people.”
Also read: FBI Investigates Minneapolis school shooting as hate crime
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