The final hours of Robin Westman, 23, have left investigators and neighbors shaken after a disturbing video surfaced showing him laughing while showcasing firearms hours before the tragic shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic church that killed two children and injured 17 others.
A chilling upload before the tragedy
The 11-minute clip, which police say was scheduled to post online at the same time as the attack, captured Westman maniacally giggling and muttering while presenting multiple weapons, ammunition, and personal writings.
Authorities confirmed the footage also revealed disturbing messages written across his firearms and a two-by-four plank of wood, marked “no escape!,” which he reportedly tried to use to block doors, police said. In one note to loved ones, Westman wrote: “Pray for the victims and their families. I love you all. I will remember you.”
Gunfire during morning Mass
The attack unfolded just after 8:30 a.m. Wednesday at Annunciation Catholic Church, where students from preschool through eighth grade were gathered for a back-to-school Mass.
Westman, dressed in black, fired into the sanctuary through stained-glass windows, according to police. Two children, aged 8 and 10, lost their lives. Seventeen others were injured, including 14 children and three elderly parishioners in their 80s, police said.
Westman was found dead in the parking lot behind the church from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Investigators later confirmed that his mother had worked at the school until her retirement in 2021, and that the firearms had been purchased legally.
Community in shock
Police Chief Brian O’Hara called the incident a “deliberate act of violence,” saying students were targeted. The FBI now classifies the case as domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.
For families who fled the pews that morning, the video now stands as a haunting reminder of the tragedy. The sight of a young man laughing over his weapons just hours before targeting children at prayer underscores the depth of a troubled mind and the heartbreak left behind in Minneapolis.
