An immediate law enforcement interview with the mother of the Minneapolis school shooter has been difficult to secure, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara suggested to Newsmax on Thursday.
"I know as of last night there were attempts that were being made to contact the mother for an interview; I don't know at this time," O'Hara told Newsmax's "National Report" when asked if the mother had been interviewed.
"I cannot confirm that that has happened yet, but I would expect if it hasn't, for that to happen very soon."
Federal agents searched a home tied to Mary Grace Westman — the suspect's mother — in the Fort Myers, Florida area, O'Hara confirmed, but added that efforts to secure an interview were still ongoing more than 24 hours after the killing of two schoolchildren, ages 8 and 10, and the wounding of 17 others at Annunciation Catholic School.
Mary Grace Westman worked as a secretary at Annunciation Catholic School for five years before retiring in 2021, according to church records. She reportedly sold her Minneapolis home in 2021 and moved to Naples.
Her prior role at the school has intensified interest from investigators seeking to understand any connection her son might have had to the institution he later targeted.
Also, authorities are investigating the ideology and background of the transgender 23-year-old who went by the name Robin Westman after a judge in 2020 approved a petition, signed by Robert Westman's mother, asking for a legal name change from Robert.
The petition said Robert Westman "identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification."
"Literally dozens of interviews" had already been conducted with witnesses and people who knew the shooter, O'Hara told Newsmax, but authorities are still pressing to determine a clear motive behind the attack.
Newsmax reached out to a phone number believed to be Mary Grace Westman's, but has yet to receive a response to a voice mail seeking comment.
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Eric Mack ✉
Eric Mack has been a writer and editor at Newsmax since 2016. He is a 1998 Syracuse University journalism graduate and a New York Press Association award-winning writer.
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