Robin Westman, who opened fire at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis during a back-to-school Mass earlier this week, had recently broken up with a romantic partner, according to details from a search warrant issued in the case.
Westman, who died from a self-inflicted wound after firing shots into the church's stained-glass windows, killing two children and injuring multiple others, had been staying at a friend's home in the days leading up to the attack, according to the warrant. The document quotes Westman's father, reports the New York Post on Friday.
Westman had identified as a transgender woman but also claimed in writings to have brainwashed himself into being transgender. His father told investigators that Westman had attended Annunciation Catholic School as a child and that his ex-wife, the shooter's mother, had once worked for the church and school.
Police records also show that officers were called to Westman's mother's home in 2018 for a welfare check involving a juvenile.
Authorities say Westman arrived at the church in black tactical gear and carrying multiple firearms. More than 100 rounds were fired into the building through its windows during morning Mass on the first week of the school year.
Officials said most of the surviving victims are expected to recover. Hospitals in Minneapolis reported Thursday that several children and adults had been discharged, while a few remained in serious or critical condition.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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