Last Updated on August 28, 2025 6:00 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
AMN / WEB DESK
In United States — The city of Minneapolis is in mourning following a tragic school shooting at Annunciation Catholic School on Wednesday morning, August 27, 2025. The incident, which occurred during a morning Mass, resulted in the deaths of two children and injuries to 17 others, including 14 children and three elderly parishioners.
Speaking to a silent crowd crammed shoulder-to-shoulder Wednesday night, while hundreds more waited outside, Archbishop Bernard Hebda described the students trying to shield their classmates as the gunfire erupted.
“In the midst of that there was courage, there was bravery, but most especially there was love,” he said at the Academy of Holy Angels, about 2 miles (3.2 kilometers) south of the shooting, in the suburb of Richfield.
Shooter Identified, Motive Under Investigation
The perpetrator, identified by authorities as 23-year-old Robin Westman, was an alumnus of the school. The attacker, who died by suicide at the scene, was armed with a legally purchased rifle, shotgun, and pistol. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara stated that Westman acted alone and did not have a prior criminal record.
The FBI has officially classified the attack as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics. The investigation into a definitive motive is ongoing, but disturbing details have emerged. Westman, who legally changed their name from Robert to Robin in 2020, had posted a series of disturbing YouTube videos and a “manifesto” that have since been taken down by authorities. The videos and writings reportedly contained a chaotic mix of hate speech, violent rhetoric, and references to past mass shootings. Messages such as “NUKE INDIA,” “Kill Donald Trump,” and “6 million wasn’t enough” were reportedly found inscribed on the firearms and in the shooter’s writings.
Community and Political Response
The shooting has sparked a wave of grief and outrage. Hundreds of people attended a vigil to honor the victims, and flags have been ordered to half-staff. Condolences have been sent from the Vatican and Catholic leadership, with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops expressing “heartbreaking sadness.”
The tragedy has also ignited political debate. Governor Tim Walz called the shooting “unthinkable, but all too common.” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and other leaders have called for action beyond “thoughts and prayers,” with Frey emphasizing that the tragedy should not be used to target the transgender community. He stated, “Anyone who is using this as an opportunity to villainize our trans community… has lost the sense of common humanity.”
This sentiment was echoed by others in the media and politics, with some condemning the political exploitation of the shooter’s gender identity. Meanwhile, some social media accounts and commentators have attempted to link the shooter’s identity to broader political and religious agendas, though these claims have not been verified by law enforcement.
