As the nation mourns the Minneapolis church mass shooting that left two children dead and 17 others injured, attention has turned to the shooter’s mother, who vanished in the aftermath, only to resurface in a swirl of panic, secrecy, and legal counsel.
A Panicked Flight Back to Minneapolis
Mary Grace Westman, 67, the mother of accused shooter Robin Westman, left for Minnesota earlier the same day FBI agents showed up at her Florida condo on Wednesday. Instead, she had reportedly bolted from Naples in a rush, phoning a neighbor mid-flight because she feared she had left her apartment unsecured.
The neighbor called the Collier County Sheriff’s Office to check on her three-bedroom unit where her blue-gray Mini Cooper S was still parked under the awning. By then, Mary was already on her way back to Minnesota.
Her decision to leave earlier the same day FBI agents arrived has raised questions about the timing. Why the rush? And what did she know?
From Church Staffer to Shooter’s Mother
Mary Grace retired in 2021 from Annunciation Catholic Church, the very same parish where her child opened fire during school Mass. Staffers at the school say Mary confided in them years ago, struggling after Robin came out as transgender.
“She said, ‘I don’t know how I feel about this.’ I think she was struggling with her Catholic faith,” a former school employee told NBC News.
That same teacher described Robin, known then as Robert, as lonely, often disruptive, and lacking friends. Mary was frequently called in for meetings with the principal, where she appeared “nervous” and unsure how to cope with her child’s behavior.
“She Should Have Seen It Coming”
Robin’s own writings in a twisted manifesto left online revealed an obsession with his mother’s perception. “I feel like my mom would have seen it coming due to my rocky past with violent threats,” they wrote.
In another passage, Robin recalled a chilling comment from a stepmother: “She could feel a dark energy around me… if only you know.”
Lawyered Up, Silent for Now
In the wake of the massacre, Mary has retained high-profile criminal defense attorney Ryan Garry, who is known for his work with NFL star Colin Kaepernick in cases related to protests after the death of George Floyd in 2020.
Garry insists Mary is simply protecting herself. “She is completely distraught about the situation and has no culpability but is seeking an attorney to deal with calls like this,” he told Fox News.
So far, police say she hasn’t spoken with them. “We have not been successful in talking to the shooter’s mother,” Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara admitted at a press conference.
A Mother in the Shadows
For now, the grieving mother remains a figure of mystery. Her sudden flight, her silence, and her lawyer all leaving the community with more questions than answers.
As investigators unravel the shooter’s troubled past, many are left wondering: How much did she know… and why didn’t she say more?
