Authorities have revealed that they have been unable to locate the mother of a transgender individual who committed a mass shooting in Minneapolis, killing two children.
The suspect, Robin Westman, 23, is the child of Mary Westman, a former employee at the Annunciation Church, where the tragic event took place on Wednesday morning.
Robin, who transitioned from Robert in 2019 to align with her gender identity as a woman, was responsible for the attack that resulted in the deaths of two children and injuries to 18 others at the church.
It is believed that the shooter may have attended services at the Annunciation Church, where Mary worked until she retired in 2021. Local reports indicate she was shocked upon learning that Robin was involved.
Robin also attended the school and graduated in 2017, according to a yearbook.
In an update on Thursday, officials admitted they have ‘not been successful in talking to shooters mother.’
Robin, the youngest of three siblings from a family whose parents divorced in 2013, according to court records, resided in Hastings, Minnesota, with family prior to Mary’s separation from her husband, Jim.
Neighbors living on Mary Westman’s street in Minneapolis, just under a mile from Annunciation Catholic Church, told the New York Post they appeared to be a ‘great family.’
Neighbor Stephen Jeglosky told the outlet that his ‘jaw dropped’ when he saw the news, and said he had interacted with them around two years ago when the family was celebrating a graduation.
Mary Westman, the mother of shooting suspect Robin Westman, 23, was a former employee at the Annunciation Church where the horror unfolded on Wednesday morning. She is pictured at her retirement in 2021
The youngest of three children whose parents divorced in 2013, Robin (seen front right) and their family lived in Hastings, Minnesota , for some time before Mary split from her husband Jim (second from left)
Westman shot themselves in the head after opening fire on Wednesday
Jeglosky recalled that the Westman family stopped him to ask him to take some photos of their celebrations, and they ‘seemed like a great family.’
‘There were kids running around, parents drinking, music playing. Their little Chihuahua nipped me in the ankle,’ he added.
‘They gave me a beer, and I went on my way. I guess you never know who somebody is.’
It is not clear what Robin’s father Jim did for a living.
Robin’s mother Mary was a signatory to the killer’s name change application in 2019, and wrote in a filing that the move was to reflect that her child was ‘[identifying] as a woman’.
In a chilling insight into the mass shooter’s mindset before carrying out the killings, Westman left a manifesto video on YouTube that included cryptic handwritten scrawlings and tributes to other killers.
The transgender shooter had also complained about being ‘tired of being trans’ and had been ‘brainwashed’ in the manifesto.
‘I only keep [the long hair] because it is pretty much my last shred of being trans. I am tired of being trans, I wish I never brain-washed myself,’ the killer wrote.
‘I can’t cut my hair now as it would be an embarrassing defeat, and it might be a concerning change of character that could get me reported.
‘It just always gets in my way. I will probably chop it on the day of the attack.’
Westman also wrote about struggling with how to identify, adding: ‘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.’
In another 20-minute video, Westman showed off a kill-kit of ammunition, magazines and firearms, while revealing a twisted obsession with school shooters, along with a dislike of President Donald Trump, and mockery of the Church.
Westman also showed the camera pages of handwritten notes in a final letter to family and friends.
In the letter, Westman claimed to have cancer caused by a vaping habit.
‘I think I am dying of cancer. It’s a tragic end as it’s entirely self inflicted. I did this to myself as I cannot control myself and have been destroying my body through vaping and other means,’ the shooter wrote.
Westman’s twisted manifesto (pictured) has also been unearthed in the aftermath of the deadly shooting, offering some clues into what went through the alleged killer’s mind
Westman shared a manifesto (pictured) during a video posted via their since-deleted YouTube account that appeared to show the layout of the church where the shooting unfolded
Westman went on to write about wanting ‘to go out on my own means’.
‘Unfortunately, due to my depression, anger and twisted mind, I want to fulfill a final act that has been in the back of my head for years,’ Westman wrote.
The note was signed with the name ‘Robin M Westman, 2002-2025’ and what appeared to be a bird drawing.
As well as the warped letter, the video also showed a stash of gun magazines, with white writing scrawled on them.
Several school shooters’ names including ‘Lanza’ for Sandy Hook mass shooter Adam Lanza was seen on some of the cartridges.
One of the other cartridges was labeled: ‘For the children.’
