Tragedy struck Minneapolis with a horrific shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School, leaving the community reeling and reigniting fierce debate over Minnesota’s controversial policies.
On Wednesday morning, during a back-to-school Mass, a 23-year-old trans woman named Robin Westman shattered the peace of the sacred space by opening fire through the church’s stained glass windows, killing two children, injuring 17 others, including 14 young students, and ultimately taking his own life, New York Post reported.
The shooter, born Robert Westman, had legally changed his name to Robin at age 17 in Dakota County, a process finalized in early 2020.
Westman’s personal history adds layers of complexity to this heartbreaking event, as his mother, Mary Grace Westman, once worked as a secretary at the very school targeted, retiring in 2021 and now residing in Florida, while his father, James, remains in Minnesota after the couple’s 2013 divorce.
Before the attack, Westman posted chilling content on YouTube, including a handwritten manifesto with a diagram of the church—stabbed with a knife in one video—and ammo magazines scrawled with messages like “Where is your God?” and “kill Donald Trump.”
These writings, including the haunting admission, “I am tired of being trans,” reveal a deeply troubled individual, raising questions about missed opportunities for intervention in a culture quick to affirm rather than address underlying struggles.
In the aftermath, House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, representing the Twin Cities’ outer suburbs, didn’t mince words on Thursday, calling for the immediate repeal of Minnesota’s “trans refuge” law, signed by Gov. Tim Walz in 2023.
This policy, designed to shield individuals seeking gender transition treatments from out-of-state legal actions, has critics like Emmer arguing it overreaches, potentially undermining parental rights and even allowing minors to transition without consent.
Emmer stated, “We’ve got some serious mental health issues that are being exacerbated by these types of messages.” His point cuts deep—when policies prioritize ideology over clarity, are we helping or harming the vulnerable?
Emmer also urged the FBI to investigate this as an anti-Catholic hate crime and domestic terrorism, a stance that resonates when children are gunned down during a Mass just days into their school year.
“Somebody had to know,” Emmer insisted, pressing why no one in Westman’s circle offered help for his evident mental anguish. It’s a fair question in a society often more focused on hashtags than human cries for help.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, speaking hours after the incident, countered the narrative of solace with, “Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers.” But isn’t dismissing prayer a bit tone-deaf when kids were literally praying as bullets flew?
Former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki jumped into the fray on social media, declaring, “Prayer is not freaking enough.” Her frustration is noted, but scorning spiritual comfort at a time of grief feels like missing the forest for the trees.
Vice President JD Vance fired back on X, asking, “Why do you feel the need to attack other people for praying?” In a moment of shared sorrow, perhaps it’s time to lower the rhetorical weapons and focus on healing a shattered community.
