On the morning of August 27, 2025, a tragic and horrifying event unfolded at Annunciation Catholic Church in south Minneapolis, Minnesota, where 23-year-old Robin Westman opened fire on children and parishioners attending a morning Mass.
The attack, which took place during the first week of the school year, claimed the lives of two young children, eight-year-old Fletcher Merkel and ten-year-old Harper Moyski, and left 18 others injured. Westman, who died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, has been identified as the sole suspect in what authorities are investigating as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.
The Attack at Annunciation Catholic Church
The shooting occurred just after 8:30 a.m. at Annunciation Catholic Church, which is affiliated with Annunciation Catholic School, a faith-based institution serving students from preschool through eighth grade. The church was hosting a morning Mass to mark the start of the school year, with children and parishioners gathered in prayer.
Westman, dressed in all black and armed with a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol, approached the side of the church and fired dozens of rounds through the stained-glass windows, targeting those inside. The attack was described by Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara as a “deliberate act of violence against innocent children,” noting the “sheer cruelty and cowardice” of firing into a church full of kids.
Two children, Fletcher Merkel, aged eight, and Harper Moyski, aged ten, were fatally wounded while sitting in the pews. Seventeen others were injured, including 14 children aged six to 15 and three elderly parishioners in their 80s. One child remains in critical condition, according to hospital officials.
The church’s policy of locking its doors after Mass began is credited with preventing Westman from entering the building, a measure that likely saved additional lives. Police recovered 116 rifle rounds, three shotgun shells, and one malfunctioned handgun round at the scene, along with a smoke bomb, though no other explosives were found.
The gunman, Robin Westman, formally known as Robert Westman reportedly approached the church from the outside, fired through windows with a semi-automatic weapon and other firearms, and died by suicide in the parking lot.
— Boston Brandi (@BostonBrandi100) August 27, 2025
Minnesota court records confirm that Robin Westman,… pic.twitter.com/2Afw1hrjVb
Witnesses described harrowing scenes of children fleeing the church, some bleeding and begging for help. Patrick Scallen, a local resident, reported seeing a girl with a head wound among three children escaping the building. Vincent Francoual, whose 11-year-old daughter Chloe was inside, spoke of the trauma of learning about the attack, emphasizing the chilling reality that children in the U.S. are trained to respond to such incidents. He noted that Chloe followed her training but is now afraid to return to school or church, highlighting the lasting impact of the violence.
Robin Westman’s Background and Motivations
Robin Westman, identified as the shooter, was a 23-year-old from Richfield, a suburb near Minneapolis. Born Robert Paul Westman on June 17, 2002, Westman legally changed their name to Robin in January 2020 at the age of 17, with court documents stating that the change reflected their identification as female.
Westman’s mother, Mary Grace Westman, had worked at Annunciation Catholic School as a parish secretary until her retirement in 2021, and Westman had attended the school, graduating from eighth grade in 2017. These connections to the church and school have raised questions about potential motives, though authorities have not identified a specific grievance or triggering event.
Westman’s social media activity and a series of YouTube videos posted on the day of the attack provide disturbing insights into their mindset. The videos, now removed, included a manifesto-style document written partly in Cyrillic script, revealing an obsession with mass shootings and admiration for perpetrators like Adam Lanza, who killed 26 people at Sandy Hook Elementary School in 2012.
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One entry, dated May 23, expressed a “deep fascination” with Lanza and described school shootings as Westman’s “favorite.” The videos also showed weapons and ammunition, some inscribed with hateful messages, including “Kill Donald Trump,” antisemitic slurs, and references to the Holocaust and the Catholic Church. A shooting target with an image of Jesus was also displayed.
In the manifesto, Westman wrote, “I don’t want to do it to spread a message. I do it to please myself. I do it because I am sick,” indicating a lack of ideological clarity but a clear intent to cause harm. Another entry detailed plans to target “a large group of kids coming in from recess” or an event at the church, suggesting weeks of premeditation.
Westman’s writings also referenced scouting the church’s entrances and exits, noting the absence of armed guards. Despite this planning, authorities have stated that Westman had no known criminal history, was not on any watchlists, and legally purchased the weapons used in the attack, which included a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol acquired recently.
Westman’s former classmate, Josefina Sanchez, recalled “red flags” from their time in grade school in St. Paul, noting Westman’s odd behavior and use of coded writing, which she later recognized in the Cyrillic script of the manifesto. Another classmate, Lily Kletter, described Westman as quiet and solitary during their time at Annunciation, often sitting alone or avoiding school events like Mass.
Westman’s employment history includes a brief stint at a RISE medical cannabis dispensary earlier in 2025, though they were no longer employed there at the time of the shooting. Neighbors described Westman’s family as friendly but noted that Westman was rarely seen in the neighborhood.
Community and Official Responses
The Minneapolis community has been left reeling in the wake of the tragedy, with vigils held at Lynnhurst Park and other locations to honor the victims and survivors. Organized by groups like Protect Minnesota and Moms Demand Action, these gatherings saw hundreds come together to mourn and call for action against gun violence.
Flowers, stuffed animals, and candles have been placed outside Annunciation Church as tributes to Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski. Fletcher’s father, Jesse Merkel, spoke of his son’s love for family, fishing, cooking, and sports, urging others to “give your kids an extra hug and kiss today.” Harper’s family described her as “bright, joyful, and deeply loved.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has been vocal in condemning the attack and addressing the broader implications. He called for a ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines, stating, “There is no reason that someone should be able to reel off 30 shots before they even have to reload.”
Frey also pushed back against hate directed at the transgender community, emphasizing that the tragedy should focus on the loss of young lives rather than politicized narratives. “Anybody using this as an opportunity to villainize our trans community—or any other community out there—has lost their sense of common humanity,” he said.
The FBI, under Director Kash Patel, is investigating the incident as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics. President Donald Trump ordered flags lowered to half-staff until sunset on August 31, 2025, as a mark of respect for the victims. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed that search warrants are being executed at three residences associated with Westman, where additional firearms have been recovered.
Efforts to contact Westman’s mother, Mary Grace, have been unsuccessful, and authorities continue to sift through hundreds of pieces of evidence to determine a motive. The Annunciation Catholic Church and School issued a statement commending the quick actions of staff who moved students under pews within seconds of the gunfire, though they mourned the loss of two beloved students.
Principal Matt DeBoer expressed gratitude for community support and called for action, urging people to “pray with our feet” to prevent future shootings. The broader Catholic community, including the Archbishop of Chicago, has called for stronger measures to address gun violence, with Cardinal Blase J. describing it as a “curse” that threatens fundamental rights.
The tragedy at Annunciation Catholic Church has reignited debates about gun control, school safety, and the prevention of mass shootings. As Minneapolis grieves, the focus remains on supporting the victims’ families and ensuring that such a tragedy does not happen again. The loss of Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski serves as a painful reminder of the vulnerability of children and the urgent need for action to protect them.