EP 1558: TRANS MASS SHOOTING??? Demonic KILLER Attacks Catholic Church
A transgender man opened fire at a Minneapolis Catholic church, killing two children and injuring seventeen others before taking his own life.
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MINNEAPOLIS TRAGEDY
A twenty-three-year-old transgender male, Robin Westman, formerly Robert Westman, opened fire at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota on Wednesday during morning mass, killing an eight-year-old and a ten-year-old, and injuring seventeen others. Westman, heavily armed with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol, shot through the church windows from outside, targeting the congregation of children and elderly parishioners. The two-minute attack left fourteen children aged six to fifteen injured, as well as three adults in their eighties, all of whom are expected to survive. Westman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene. Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed Westman’s identity and revealed the weapons were legally purchased. Investigators are examining writings and YouTube videos left by Westman, including diary entries detailing the killing of children and a drawing of the church sanctuary. The videos also depict weapons, ammunition, and what appear to be explosive devices. Westman’s mother, a retired employee of the attached Catholic school, reportedly signed off on Westman’s legal name change in 2019, when Westman was seventeen.
Westman’s online presence revealed a disturbing fixation on guns, violence, and school shooters. Social media videos displayed a personal arsenal of weapons and explosives, covered in anti-Semitic and racist language, including threats against former President Trump. Diary entries, written primarily in English using Cyrillic letters, expressed self-hatred, violent fantasies involving children, and suicidal ideations. One sticker in the diary displayed LGBTQ and transgender flags alongside a gun and the slogan “Defend Equality.” Westman wrote about a self-diagnosed case of lung cancer, attributed to vaping, and the belief that death was imminent, seemingly using this as justification for the attack. A note to his family included apologies and addressed family matters. The writings notably lacked any coherent ideology or political agenda, focusing instead on idolization of other mass killers and graphic depictions of violence. Westman expressed internal conflict about carrying out the attack, torn between a desire for violence and concern for his family, ultimately concluding that the perceived impending death from cancer necessitated the attack.
The attack shares similarities with recent shootings in Antioch, Tennessee, perpetrated by Solomon Henderson in January 2025, and at Abundant Life Church in Madison, Wisconsin, in December 2024 by Samantha Rupnow, a fifteen-year-old girl. Common threads include racialist rhetoric, edgy online humor, occult symbolism, young age, and the targeting of schools or religious institutions. This suggests a possible connection to a niche internet subculture fostering an obsession with violence, school shootings, and the occult, potentially grooming vulnerable individuals towards extremism. These groups, operating on platforms like Telegram, often espouse contradictory ideologies, combining white supremacist rhetoric with elements of left-wing sympathies or sexual degeneracy. They idolize figures like Anders Breivik, the Columbine shooters, Dylan Roof, and Elliot Rodger. Their apparent goal is to accelerate societal chaos and division through targeted acts of violence, exploiting political and social sensitivities to ignite wider conflict.
A sketch of the shooter from his journal
This emerging pattern of violence defies simple categorization as left-wing or right-wing terrorism, lacking the traditional political objectives associated with such acts. The Minneapolis attack, like the others, appears motivated by a nihilistic anti-social impulse, targeting society itself. The violence isn’t a means to a political end, but an end in itself, driven by sadism and a desire to inflict suffering. This represents a distinct form of post-modern violence, a hyper-real manifestation of social dislocation and mental illness. The choice of a Catholic church as a target might reflect Westman’s personal connection to the institution through his mother, but given his documented anti-religious sentiments and fascination with evil, it also suggests a deliberate attack on a symbol of faith and goodness. This underscores the spiritual dimension of this tragedy. The attacker’s self-identification with demonic imagery in his diary, coupled with the targeting of a place of worship, points to a battle not just against individuals, but against spiritual forces.
The tragedy highlights the profound societal breakdown and isolation that can lead individuals down a path of violence. Westman’s apparent mental illness, combined with a lack of strong social connections and immersion in toxic online communities, created a breeding ground for extremism. This underscores the urgent need for stronger social support systems, parental involvement, and a renewed focus on community and shared values to combat the alienation and despair that fuel such acts. The absence of a unifying center in modern society, a shared sense of purpose and belonging, leaves individuals vulnerable to evil influence and destructive online behavior. The Minneapolis shooting serves as a stark reminder of the importance of rebuilding community, fostering genuine connection, and addressing the underlying societal issues that contribute to this kind of violence.