August 27, 2025
Shooter kills 2 children, wounds 17 at Minneapolis Catholic church during school Mass
Trade policy weaponized to force allies into compliance with foreign policy goals
August 27, 2025
Trade policy weaponized to force allies into compliance with foreign policy goals
Former student Robin Westman, 23, opened fire through church windows during morning Mass at Annunciation Catholic School August 27, 2025, killing Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10, while wounding 17 others including children ages 6-15 and three elderly parishioners.
Police recovered 116 rifle casings, three shotgun shells, and one pistol cartridge from the two-minute attack that ended when Westman died by suicide in the parking lot.
The shooting marked the 44th school shooting in the U.S.
this year.
23-year-old
Robin Westman opened fire through church windows at Annunciation Catholic School during first-week Mass on August 27, 2025, killing Fletcher Merkel (8) and Harper Moyski (10), wounding 18 others including 15 children.
Westman died from self-inflicted gunshot wound after firing 116 rifle rounds, 1 handgun round, and 3 shotgun shells while barricading church doors to trap victims inside the sanctuary.
FBI Director Kash Patel classified the attack as domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics, with investigators finding hundreds of pages expressing hatred toward multiple groups and obsession with previous mass shooters.
This marked the 44th school shooting in the US this year and occurred during Minneapolis' fourth deadly shooting in 24 hours, showing the normalization of mass violence in American communities.
Minneapolis Police Chief
Brian O'Hara said Westman intended to kill children and "appeared to hate all of us and wanted to watch children suffer," revealing disturbing evidence of targeting the most innocent victims.
Westman was a 2017 graduate of Annunciation Catholic School whose mother previously worked at the institution, demonstrating how inside knowledge can be weaponized for maximum harm against former communities.
Four patients required emergency surgery at Hennepin Healthcare, with nine of eleven victims being children aged 6-14, while heroic staff moved students under pews within seconds of gunfire.
Mayor Jacob Frey called for bans on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines while warning against using the tragedy to "villainize our trans community or any other community," showing political responses to mass violence.
Shooter
Minneapolis Police Chief
Minneapolis Mayor
FBI Director
Support gun violence prevention through organizations like Brady Campaign at bradyunited.org advocating for assault weapons restrictions
Donate to victim support funds for Annunciation Catholic School families through verified community organizations
Contact Congress at 202-224-3121 demanding federal action on high-capacity magazines and assault weapon availability
Support school safety organizations like Sandy Hook Promise at sandyhookpromise.org that work to prevent mass violence
Advocate for mental health resources and threat assessment programs in schools through local PTAs and school boards