The gunman responsible for killing two children and injuring at least 17 others in Minneapolis has been identified as Robin Westman, and investigators are now examining a series of YouTube videos allegedly uploaded to his account just hours before the attack, according to a report by the New York Post citing law enforcement officials.
Local outlet KARE11, referencing police sources, reported that Westman had previously gone by the name Robert Westman. His mother was employed at the school, and he legally changed his name to Robin in 2020, at the age of 17. A separate report from the Daily Mail, drawing from Minnesota station KTSP, also confirmed his identity.
Images of Westman quickly spread across social media, alongside claims that he had shared a manifesto and anti-Trump content online. Journalist Colin Rugg, co-owner of Trending Politics, posted one such photo on X. However, News18 noted that it could not independently verify the authenticity of the videos and images circulating online.
Calling the attack “a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and people of faith,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara condemned the “sheer cruelty and cowardice” of firing into a church filled with worshippers, Reuters reported. Notably, O’Hara did not publicly confirm the shooter’s identity during his statement.
The shooting unfolded just two days after the school year began at Annunciation Catholic School, a private elementary institution connected to a Roman Catholic parish in southeast Minneapolis, with about 395 students enrolled. Television coverage showed distressed parents ducking under police tape as they rushed to escort their children to safety.
Police later revealed that at least two chapel doors had been barricaded from the outside with wooden planks. Westman was armed with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol at the time of the assault, though officials stated he did not have a significant criminal record.
According to Reuters, investigators are now reviewing multiple online videos to determine if they were indeed posted by Westman, with two sources confirming the probe on condition of anonymity.