The mother of Robert “Robin” Westman, the suspected gunman who killed two children after opening fire at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, had previously been employed at the school.
Mary Grace Westman’s name appears in a letter posted on the church’s website. The letter was sent by one of the church’s priests, who honored Westman and other co-workers in his goodbye message. Internal documents indicate she worked as a secretary.
BREAKING: Gunman’s mother was a former employee of the school (CBS) pic.twitter.com/hYRfBiEQAs
— Intel Point Alert (@IntelPointAlert) August 27, 2025
Court records show that the suspected shooter’s mother applied to change his name in 2019 from Robert Paul Westman to Robin M. Westman because he identified as a female, according to the Minnesota Star Tribune. Since Robert was a minor, changing his name required parental consent.
Robert had published disturbing videos that are now circulating on social media. One video shows Westman’s hands opening a notebook and flipping the pages of what appears to be a manifesto.
Here's the first video. pic.twitter.com/EVWE3Z5Qxc
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 27, 2025
In another video, Westman appears to show off his guns that had various phrases written on them. These included “Release the list,” a seeming reference to the Jeffrey Epstein controversy, “Israel must fall,” and “Kill Trump Now!”
Here's the second video. pic.twitter.com/xIKAF2yHcN
— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) August 27, 2025
He also wrote the names of other mass shooters on his magazines. These included Adam Lanza, who carried out the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting, James Holmes, who opened fire in a movie theater in 2012 in Aurora, Colorado, Charles Whitman, who perpetrated the 1966 University of Texas tower shooting, and others.
For those who do not know the names written on the magazines:
— Matt Van Swol (@matt_vanswol) August 27, 2025
Lanza → Adam Lanza, perpetrator of the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.
Holmes → James Holmes, perpetrator of the 2012 Aurora, Colorado movie theater shooting.
Whitman → Charles Whitman, responsible…
The authorities are still investigating the shooting and working to determine what motivated Westman to carry out the shooting, which also injured dozens of people.
It is believed the shooter planned the attack to coincide with the first full day of school.