A shooting occurred at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, Minnesota on the 27th. Although authorities are still investigating the motive of the 23-year-old gunman, Westman, it is reported that before the incident he complained about his mother’s opposition to his desire to transition genders, blaming his violent actions on her.
Reportedly, in his diary dated July 1, Westman wrote that when he told his mother about wanting to transition, she opposed the idea and warned him, “You’ll think this idea is ridiculous in the future,” which left him deeply hurt.
Westman wrote, “Mom, your words have left me in constant unease… Mom, you are right, but the way you handled it makes me want to kill so many people.” He also wrote, “Gender and marijuana have messed me up—I really wish I’d never tried either of them.”
However, in a letter to his family, Westman stated, “You haven’t disappointed me,” and, “I truly appreciate the love you’ve given me; I feel you raised me to be a good person.”
Westman’s mother had worked at the Catholic school where the incident took place until 2021. Back in 2020, she agreed to let her child change their name from ‘Robert’ to ‘Robin’ because her minor child identified as female and wanted a name that reflected that identity.
During the first week of school at the Annunciation Catholic School, Westman fired 116 shots from outside a church window into the sanctuary during a Mass attended by children, resulting in 2 deaths and 18 injuries.
Additionally, Minneapolis Police Chief O’Hara believes that the suspect had an “obsessive fascination” with perpetrators of previous mass shootings, and that his ultimate goal in committing the crime was personal infamy and to create terror, trauma, and massacre.
Minnesota District Attorney Thompson believes the gunman was filled with hatred and was intent on killing children.
Minneapolis Mayor Frey stated bluntly that anyone who uses this incident to demonize transgender or other groups has lost their humanity, and that “such evil acts should never happen.”