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‘I went to that school…’ Notes reveal Minneapolis shooter Robin Westman's possible motive
Here's why Minneapolis shooter Robin Westman targeted the Annunciation Catholic School and church.
At least two children were killed and 17 others injured after a man, armed with three guns, fired on praying students via stained-glass windows into a Catholic church, Reuters quoted officials as saying. The incident took place on Wednesday, August 27, when the parish school students had gathered to attend Mass.
Without mentioning the motive behind the attack, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara identified the suspect as Robin Westman. The shooting came to an end only when the 23-year-old attacker "took his own life" around the church.
As per the detailed notes made by him, Robin Westman targeted the year's maiden Mass at his former Catholic school after talking about details regarding the gathering online, the New York Post reported.
Why did Robin Westman target Annunciation Catholic School?
The handwritten notes in his diary, which Westman is believed to have shared on YouTube before the shooting incident, highlight that he targeted the school as well as the church next door since he knew them very well. Robin's mother used to work there as a secretary, while he attended this school as a child.
In a July 25 entry, Robin wrote that the schedule of the school was posted online. Hence, he decided to go through it and "look for events that look promising."
"Oooo! Aug. 27th, that is an all-school mass,” he added.
While talking about his trial run for the shooting, Robin stated in an August 10 entry that the front doors of the institution will remain locked. So, he thought of visiting the Starbucks at 8:40 (local time) and later walking towards the church at around 9:30.
“I will walk down the west side and try door 22 on my way to the south doors. After Mass, I will try to exit out of the main doors and walk down the east side to go to the office,” the New York Post translated Robin's writing, which included both Russian Cyrillic and English words.
Robin Westman’s diary entries
In his diary, Robin claimed that he picked this school because he was familiar with its surroundings.
“I went to that school so I know the layout," Robin Westman wrote and added that he thought he was not required to do much "recon at the start of the school”.
Moreover, the diary tells how carefully he made the entire plan for attacking the school and church. Robin even decided where he would park his vehicle.
He wrote that the parking area around Annunciation he "wanted to use is a handicap spot, so it might be suspicious if I park there."
He added that this should not be a "big deal" as he will not remain in the car for a long time or "even park in a spot now anyway”.
Also, Robin had plans if anybody got suspicious about his activity or tried to challenge him.
The suspect wrote that he visited this church twice and did not see any person "under the age of 55."
"I only saw old people and some mom-aged ladies, some with very young kids,” he added.
FAQs
When did the shooting incident take place?
The incident took place when school students were attending Mass at the church in Minneapolis.
What happened to the attacker?
Robin Westman, 23, killed himself at the rear of the church.
Who all died in the shooting incident?
The two victims were aged 8 and 10.
