On the morning of August 27, 2025, a mass shooting occurred at the Church of the Annunciation in the Windom neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The attack took place during a scheduled school-wide Mass attended by the students and faculty of Annunciation Catholic School. The perpetrator killed two children, injured 21 other people, and then died by suicide; those injured were eighteen children and three senior citizens.
Annunciation Catholic Church and its affiliated parochial school have been in southwest Minneapolis for more than a century. The parish community held its first Mass in 1922. On September 10, 1923, four Dominican Sisters opened Annunciation School in a new red-brick church–school building.[3][4] The school enrolls students from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade.[5][6] It offers daily religion classes and emphasizes service projects for each grade level.[3] Enrollment in 2024 was about 340 students.[3]
The shooting occurred two months after another act of violence in Minnesota that drew national attention: the shootings of state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, and state senator John Hoffman and his wife. The Hortmans were killed in the shooting and the Hoffmans were injured.[7] On August 26, the day before the Annunciation attack, another mass shooting occurred outside Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis, injuring six and killing one.[8]
Shooting
The attack at the church took place during the first week of classes at Annunciation School, during an all-school Mass scheduled for 8:15a.m. CDT. Shortly before 8:30a.m., a shooter dressed in black approached the side of the church and fired dozens of rounds from a rifle through the stained-glass windows towards worshippers inside;[9] police later said the assailant also had a shotgun and a pistol which jammed.[7][9] The assailant had barricaded at least two exit doors from the outside with pieces of lumber, making escape routes for those inside hard to find.[9] The gunfire lasted roughly two minutes[10] ending when the shooter died by suicide in the rear parking lot.[11] Approximately 116 rifle bullet casings, one unfired pistol cartridge, and three shotgun shell casings were recovered from the scene.[12][13] The handgun appeared to have malfunctioned.[13]
The initial 9-1-1 calls came in around 8:27a.m. Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) officers entered the building within minutes to render aid and rescue students.[14] Paramedics transported victims who were injured to area hospitals including Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) in about 25 minutes.[15] The city directed families to the school building to reunite with students and a family assistance center for support services was set up.[16] Some students were reunited with their parents in the school's gym.[17]
The perpetrator killed two children (aged 8 and 10) and injured 21 other people: eighteen children and three adults (parishioners in their 80s).[19] Officials said that all of the injured were expected to survive, and several victims were released from hospitals later on the same day.[9][20] Critical cases were routed to HCMC while noncritical pediatric patients went to Children's Minnesota Hospital, and noncritical adults to North Memorial Hospital. HCMC's emergency department reported that they treated ten patients overall from the scene. Later that day the hospital said one adult and five children were in critical condition, and one adult and three children were being treated for non–life-threatening injuries. Four patients required surgery, according to HCMC and city officials.[21][22]
Authorities said the wounded children included elementary- and middle-school students, ages 6 to 15. Officials did not immediately release the names of the deceased children; however, they were identified by their families as 10-year-old Harper Moyski and 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel.[23][21]
Investigation
Local, state, and federal authorities opened a joint investigation led by the Minneapolis Police Department with assistance from the FBI and the ATF. Federal officials stated that the case was being investigated as an act of domestic terrorism and an anti-Catholic hate crime.[7][24][25] MPD Chief Brian O'Hara said investigators executed search warrants at three residences in the Twin Cities area and searched a vehicle which was believed to belong to the suspect. Investigators collected and reviewed online materials—including videos and writings which were scheduled to be published on YouTube via time-release. The posts were removed shortly after being released—as law enforcement worked to reconstruct the planning and motives behind them.[26][24]
Authorities said that the assailant acted alone, had no known criminal history, and used a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol which were all purchased legally and "recently", according to O'Hara. The ATF assisted with firearms tracing.[16][27][28] Investigators said that they were still working to determine a precise motive.[7][9][29]
Perpetrator
The lone perpetrator was identified by law enforcement as 23-year-old Robin M. Westman (June 17, 2002–August 27, 2025),[5][30][31] who had no previous criminal history.[30][32] Westman grew up in Richfield, Minnesota and reportedly attended Annunciation School before graduating in 2017. Westman at one point identified as transgender. Westman's given name was legally changed in 2019,[33] but before the attack Westman expressed being "tired of being trans" and wished to have "never brainwashed myself" in a diary entry. Westman further wrote that, "I don't want to dress girly all the time but I guess sometimes I really like it. I know I am not a woman but I definitely don't feel like a man."[34][35] There is no evidence that Westman had begun to medically transition.[36] According to The Washington Post, citing claims circulating on social media, Westman's mother worked as an administrative assistant at the school's business office from 2016 to 2021.[37][30][17]
Westman's father's house, located less than one mile (1.6km) from the church, was cordoned off with crime scene tape and police were stationed outside.[31] On the day of the shooting, MPD Chief O'Hara said Westman had "recently" purchased the weapons.[38]
At a news conference, Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis announced that the city would open a family resource center and urged concrete action beyond expressions of sympathy. "Don't just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now... These kids were literally praying," he said.[44] Frey added, "Anybody who is using this as an opportunity to villainize our transgender community has lost their sense of common humanity."[45] Frey called for state and federal bans on assault weapons and high capacity magazines.[46]
Minnesota governor Tim Walz called the attack "a tragedy that brought devastation to a place that should be a safe space for children to learn," and ordered state flags flown at half-staff.[45] In response to the shooting, Minnesota lawmaker Tom Emmer called for repealing the state's transgender refuge law passed in 2023.[47]
Federal
President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that he had been briefed on the shooting. He posted "Please join me in praying for everyone involved!"[45] Later on the same day he released a presidential proclamation ordering that U.S. flags be flown at half-staff nationwide through August 31, 2025.[48] Trump called Walz to offer condolences to Minnesotans.[45]
The FBI said it was assisting local authorities; the Minneapolis field office's special agent in charge said the Bureau would "devote every available resource to support this ongoing investigative effort".[45] According to federal officials and local police the case is being investigated as domestic terrorism and an anti-Catholic hate crime.[9] Both Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and FBI Director Kash Patel made a point of emphasizing the shooter's gender identity in their statements.[49]
Advisors to the Trump Administration were also quoted by Le Monde as emphasizing the shooter's identity, with Trump advisor Alex Bruesewitz describing the shooter as "another deranged trans terrorist" and Hegseth advisor Graham Allen saying that "Trans violence is not only a mental illness. I believe it is demonic possession."[50] Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon, a longtime legal advocate against access to transgender healthcare, blamed said care for the shooting - despite no evidence that the shooter had begun medical transition.[36] Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene used the shooting to call for the federal criminalization of transgender care for minors.[49]
When asked whether psychiatric medications might be linked to violent behavior, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replied that he was "launching studies on the potential contribution of some of the SSRI drugs and some of the other psychiatric drugs that might be contributing to violence". Minnesota Senator Tina Smith responded to his comment on social media, telling him to "just shut up" and "stop peddling bullshit."[51]
Flags at federal facilities were ordered to fly at half-staff nationwide through August 31 by presidential proclamation, and several governors issued parallel state orders.[52][53]
Faith and community
Vigil in Lynnhurst Park the evening after the attack
Hundreds gathered for a candlelight vigil at Lynnhurst Park in southwest Minneapolis organized by Protect Minnesota and Moms Demand Action.[31][54] During the days immediately afterward, mourners created a sidewalk memorial of flowers, notes, and candles outside Annunciation Church.[55]
Rows of flowers in front of Annunciation Church on August 31
Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis addressed reporters and released a statement asking for "continued prayers" for the parish and school and saying, "My heart is broken... We need an end to gun violence."[56] Hebda later said that prayers from around the country and a message from Pope Leo XIV had been "a source of hope".[57] The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops vice-president, Archbishop William E. Lori, said, "Let us all beg the Lord for the protection and healing of the entire Annunciation family."[58]
Auxiliary bishop Kevin Kenney met families at Hennepin County Medical Center and told local media "it shouldn't be happening" as clergy offered prayers and support.[59] That evening more than 600 people attended a prayer vigil at the Academy of Holy Angels with Hebda, Walz, and Senator Amy Klobuchar in attendance.[31]Pope Leo XIV gave condolences via a telegram from the Cardinal Secretary of State, conveying "spiritual closeness" to those affected.[60]
Minnesota United FC fans held a moment of silence for the victims during their game against the Portland Timbers and held tifos displaying the names of the two children killed as well as a message calling for an end to gun violence before singing "You Are My Sunshine".[62]
Conservative commentators
Influencers on the right have had what Le Monde said is as a "unified reaction", in which they framed the shooting as being "trans terrorism" committed by the wider trans community in response to the Trump Administration's continuing crackdown against transgender rights.[50]
Elon Musk and Benny Johnson shared posts alleging a pattern regarding violence and trans identity, despite data showing only 0.11% of mass shooting suspects over the previous decade were transgender.[49]Matt Walsh was quoted as saying "We've defeated them politically. We've defeated them culturally. But understand this: now is precisely the moment when trans militants are the MOST dangerous." Charlie Kirk said "The trans movement is radicalizing the mentally ill into becoming violent terrorists who target children for murder", and advocated against transgender people being allowed to own firearms.[50]Chloe Cole alleged that the shooting could be a natural result of society supporting transgender people in their identities.[35]
Donald Trump Jr. blamed transgender healthcare for the shooting, and said that "there is no more violent group in the world per capita that the radicle[sic] trans community", in contravention to data showing that 98% of shooters are cisgender men.[63]
Advocacy organizations
Everytown, Moms Demand Action, and Students Demand Action released a joint statement from their organizations with offices in Minnesota. Everytown president John Feinblatt said, "All signs point to this tragedy being perpetrated by an assault weapon... How many more Americans must die before lawmakers ban these weapons of war?" Moms Demand Action executive director Angela Ferrell-Zabala said, "Our places of education and worship should be places of refuge, not battlefields."[64] A local news roundup quoted a Minnesota Moms Demand Action volunteer calling for change.[65]
The national gun violence prevention group GIFFORDS released a statement through founder Gabby Giffords, who said she was "devastated" by the attack and urged lawmakers to act: "No one should have to fear for their lives when attending religious services... There are solutions that legislators should act on now to prevent another tragic day like today."[66]Sandy Hook Promise co-founder Nicole Hockley said, "Our children deserve more than moments of silence, thoughts and prayers. They deserve action," while co-founder Mark Barden emphasized recognizing warning signs to prevent violence.[67]
The American Federation of Teachers issued a statement from president Randi Weingarten and Teachers Unify to End Gun Violence's Abbey Clements: "We have a moral responsibility to protect our children... Schools should be safe havens... not places for them to be traumatized or have their lives cut short by gun violence."[68]
Gun-control activist and Parkland high school shooting survivor David Hogg said on CNN that Congress should increase CDC and National Institutes of Health funding to study gun violence and argued such funding could pass via budget reconciliation. He criticized Trump's post-Parkland record, saying, "you are a coward, sir… you have the power to end this, but you are not going to because you're a damn coward."[69]
The Uvalde Foundation for Kids, a non-profit formed after the 2022 Uvalde school shooting,[70] announced they were beginning an initiative to raise funds for the families of the victims in the shootings in Minneapolis and urged school-safety reforms be adopted in response to the shooting.[71]
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