Witnesses to a mass shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, have detailed the “terrifying” events that occurred after an attacker opened fire on a church where children were celebrating Mass early Wednesday morning. One small boy recalled being protected by a friend who was also hit. Two children were killed and 17 others injured in an event that the FBI is investigating as an anti-Catholic hate crime. The attacker, 23-year-old Robin Westman, died at the scene of a gunshot wound he caused himself. Authorities have not yet provided a suspected motive.
Westman was a previous student at the school next to the church, CNN reported. The attacker’s mother had previously worked at the establishment, according to a 2016 school newsletter. The little survivor, 10-year-old Weston Halsne, told CBS affiliate station WCCO that his friend rescued him from gunshots by lying on top of him. “I was like two seats away from the stained glass window,” he told me. “My friend, Victor, saved me though, because he laid on top of me, but he got hit.” He went on to say, “My friend was hit in the back and had to be hospitalised… I was quite concerned for him, but I believe he is now fine.”
Weston said he and his classmates were well-drilled in what to do in a shooting situation – but not in the environment in which they found themselves. “We practise it every month, but not in church, only in the school,” he said.
Westman is thought to have approached the side of the Annunciation Church, which also serves as a school, and fired hundreds of shots through the windows with three weapons. Police discovered a smoke bomb at the scene. Officials are investigating whether the shots were fired from inside or outside the building, adding that no bullet casings were located inside. Locals recounted their confusion as they heard the gunshot. One individual, Mike Garrity, told NBC News that he thought it was the sound of a nail gun at a nearby construction site.
Bill Bienemann, who lives two blocks away, met with reporters at the scene and described the incident: “I said there’s no way that could be gunfire because there’s so much of it.” Another local homeowner, PJ Mudd, who was working from home on Wednesday morning, told the Wall Street Journal that he heard three booms. “It suddenly dawned on me – it was a shooting.” Mr Mudd immediately ran to the church, where he discovered three magazine cartridges on the ground.
Witnesses, including Mr Garrity, reported the horrific sight of youngsters emerging from the church covered in blood. Another neighbour, Patrick Scallen, reported seeing three children leave the building, one of whom was a girl with a head injuries. “She kept saying, ‘please hold my hand, don’t leave me’, and I said I wasn’t going anywhere.” A nearby babysitter said she was happy to see several children leave the building unharmed, but was worried by “the looks on their faces alone”. “You see videos online, but it does not compare to seeing and witnessing it in person,” “That was rough… it is terrifying.”
On Wednesday evening, hundreds of people gathered at another local school to hold a vigil for the deaths. Those injured in the incident are expected to recover, and several have already been released from the hospital. One mother told CNN that she was pleased her children were not injured in the incident, but that she had “such mixed feelings right now”. Carla Maldonado expressed her “extreme sadness and anger that this has to happen in any school.” She went on to remark, “The number of lives killed is too high. One is too many. It isn’t okay.” Minnesota Governor Tim Walz had a similar sentiment, stating the situation was “all too common – not just in Minnesota, but across the country”.
Walz stated that US President Donald Trump and his team have extended their “deep condolences” and offered support. Trump then stated that the US flag would be flown at half-mast at the White House as a mark of respect for the victims. Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, was among those who paid respect to the young victims, stating that the tragedy left him “profoundly saddened”. In a press conference on Wednesday, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara stated that the attacker did not have a “extensive known criminal history” and was acting alone. Police said they discovered a “manifesto” that Westman planned to upload on YouTube at the time of the shooting. The FBI assisted officials in bringing it down.
Westman formally changed his name from Robert to Robin in 2020, according to Minnesota court records. The judge said in the application, “Minor child identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.”
English