The shooter from Minneapolis carefully orchestrated the tragic attack by performing a test run in advance, leveraging her religious belief to build trust, and ensuring that no parents were present to intervene.

Robin Westman, 23, specifically targeted Annunciation Catholic School on Wednesday, having previously examined the church to assess the number of adults present. Tragically, two children lost their lives: eight-year-old Fletcher Merkel and ten-year-old Harper Moyski.

The grieving parents of both victims spoke on Thursday night. Merkel’s father labeled Westman a ‘coward’ and encouraged parents to embrace their children lovingly. Meanwhile, Moyski’s devastated parents advocated for stricter gun control laws, emphasizing that Harper’s memory should inspire meaningful action.

Westman, a transgender woman, had written disturbing notes in a journal, indicating multiple reconnaissance visits to the church, according to the New York Post.

‘Both times I went to the church, I didn’t see any men under the age of 55,’ Westman wrote in a combination of Russian Cyrillic and English.

‘I only saw old people and some mom-aged ladies, some with very young kids. Even still, these boomers could be packing.’ 

Westman, who once attended Annunciation School herself and later took her own life after the shooting, mentioned that the school’s online calendar was instrumental in orchestrating the deadly and heartless attack that claimed the lives of Merkel and Moyski and wounded 18 others who were in silent prayer.

“The school schedule is available online, so I need to review it to find promising events,” Westman recorded on July 25 in her handwritten journal, which was disclosed in a now-removed YouTube video.

‘Oooo! Aug. 27th, that is an all-school mass!’

On August 10, Westman wrote: ‘I bet the front doors will be unlocked today. I will go to Starbucks at 8:40, chill there, [then] walk to the church at 9:30, arrive about three minutes late.’ 

During her stakeout, Westman arrived at the church pretending to be a lapsed Catholic looking to reconnect with the religion, a senior law enforcement official said, according to CNN. 

Investigators also believe Westman created a detailed drawing of the inside of the church based on her prior visits there. 

Officials think the shooter initially planned to carry out the attack from inside the church, but because mass had started, the doors were locked. 

‘A number of the doors had been locked once Mass began, which is part of their normal procedure,’ Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told CNN. 

‘We believe that this step also played a part in ensuring this tragedy did not become that much worse.’ 

O’Hara also pointed to another key detail that Westman included in the YouTube video, showing wooden boards with smoke canisters attached that were possibly intended to trap students inside. 

‘Check this out,’ Westman could be heard saying in the clip. ‘This will be for the emergency exit.’ 

If the shooter was able to place the wooden boards on the doors, those trapped would have been left stuck and blocked by orange smoke, O’Hara said. 

But because all doors were locked, including the emergency exit, Westman switched gears and shot blindly through the church’s stained glass windows.

As authorities continue to probe Westman’s motive behind the deadly massacre, they’ve pointed towards the manifesto shared in a 20-minute video. 

The shooter first 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 her family and friends. In the letter, she claimed to have cancer caused by a vaping habit.

Westman went on to write that she wanted ‘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.

Other unhinged ramblings on Westman’s stash of magazines and guns revealed a hatred for Donald Trump and mockery of the Catholic church. 

‘Take this all of you, and eat!’, ‘Do you believe in God?’ and ‘Where is your God?’ read some of the anti-church messages. ‘Kill Donald Trump,’ read another.

Westman appeared to be struggling with her gender identity, having complained in the manifesto that she was ‘tired of being trans’ and claimed she had ‘brainwashed herself.’ 

Westman dressed in all black and was armed with three guns – a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol – during the attack. 

All three weapons were used in the bloodbath, and all were purchased legally by Westman, police said. 

Little Fletcher’s father Jesse slammed Westman on Thursday night, saying: ‘A coward decided to take our eight-year-old son Fletcher away from us.

‘Because of their actions, we will never be allowed to hold him, talk to him, play with him and watch him grow into the wonderful young man he was on the path to becoming.’

Merkel’s grieving father also asked the public to remember his little boy ‘for the person he was and not the act that ended his life’ as he urged parents to ‘give your kids an extra hug and kiss today.’

Moyski’s parents also announced on Thursday that she was killed in the shooting, describing their daughter as a ‘bright, joyful and deeply-loved 10 year old whose laughter, kindness and spirit touched everyone who knew her.

‘Our hearts are broken, not only as parents, but also for Harper’s sister, who adored her big sister and is grieving an unimaginable loss,’ they continued, noting that they are ‘shattered and words cannot capture the depth of our pain.’

The grieving parents then called for action on gun control, saying they ‘believe it is important that [Harper’s] memory fuels action.

‘We urge our leaders and communities to take meaningful steps to address gun violence and the mental health crisis in this country,’ they said.

Eighteen others were wounded, including 15 children.

The three adults injured were elderly church parishioners in their 80s, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said. 

Endre Gunter, 13, and Sophia Forchas, 12, are fighting for their lives after bullets struck them. 

Gunter was shot in the stomach when Westman fired through the church’s stained glass windows, his family said. 

His mother, Danielle Gunter, told CNN her son is currently recovering in the hospital, and they will now focus on helping him ‘rebuild his life, his trust, and his confidence.’ 

Forchas was identified as another surviving victim, according to a GoFundMe set up by her family. 

The 12-year-old was ‘shot during the attack and is currently in critical condition in the ICU,’ the fundraiser read.

‘She has already undergone emergency surgery, and her medical team is doing everything they can to stabilize her. Her road ahead will be long, uncertain, and incredibly difficult – but she is strong, and she is not alone,’ they continued.