The person who killed two children and injured 17 others during a Catholic school Mass in Minnesota died by suicide, officials said.

Minneapolis police and other law enforcement agencies responded to the scene of a shooting near Annunciation Church and Catholic School in Minneapolis on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025.

Police said the shooter died of self-inflicted wounds after firing at children and staff during a Mass at the church.

Here's what we know so far about the shooter.

Who is the suspect in the Minneapolis school shooting?

Local and federal authorities identified the shooter as Robin Westman, 23, of Minnesota.

The shooter died by suicide at the church, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara.

Public records show Westman's last known address was an apartment in the city's South St. Paul neighborhood.

A law enforcement official told the New York Times that Westman is believed to have been a former student at the school. They also told the outlet that the suspect’s mother previously worked at the campus.

Dakota County court records show in 2019 Mary Grace Westman petitioned to change her child's name. In a handwritten filing, she wrote, "minor child identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification." A district judge approved then change in 2020 when Robin Westman was 17.

In post on social media, U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the shooter had the words "‘For the Children’ and ‘Where is your God?’ and ‘Kill Donald Trump’ on a rifle magazine."

"This level of violence is unthinkable. Our deepest prayers are with the children, parents, families, educators, and Christians everywhere," Noem wrote. "We mourn with them, we pray for healing, and we will never forget them."

Officials believe the shooter used three recently purchased firearms − a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol − and fired from outside the building through the church's windows.

A video, a handwritten journal and an arsenal of firearms

O'Hara referenced online messages from the alleged shooter released Aug. 27 that were timed to publish during the shooting. He said the FBI ordered the YouTube clips to be taken down and was reviewing them for a possible motive.

Archived versions of the videos from the now-deleted YouTube page show the alleged shooter displaying a handwritten journal and an arsenal of firearms and ammunition.

The video, posted Aug. 27 hours before the shooting, references a handwritten note that includes the name Robin Westman. The videos included a handwritten map of the interior of Annunciation Church. The note references severe depression and suicidal thoughts.

The alleged shooter’s firearms were marked with a variety of political slogans in silver marker in both English and Russian.

O'Hara said police were processing four search warrants searching for the shooter's motive and had seized other firearms.

Where did the school shooting happen?

The shooting took place at Annunciation Catholic School, which offers instruction to students from preschool through the 8th grade.

Where is Annunciation Church and Catholic School?

The school is at 525 W 54th St. in Minnesota, about six miles south of downtown near the city's Windham neighborhood.

It's about four miles northeast of the Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport.

What happened in the Minnesota Catholic school shooting?

The shooting took place about 8:30 a.m. at the church, which also has a school on site, O'Hara said.

According to a preliminary investigation, O'Hara said the shooter approached the church building from the outside and fired inside toward children sitting in pews.

The Mass was in celebration of the first week of school, O'Hara said.

The children were worshiping God when gunfire rang out.

"Teachers were beginning a new school year. Families were entrusting their loved ones to the care of the church," Bishop of the Diocese of Saint Cloud Patrick M. Neary told USA TODAY. "I grieve with every person who now carries the trauma of this senseless violence. As Catholics, we believe in the dignity of every human life. That dignity is destroyed."

Who died in the Catholic school shooting?

Police reported that two children, an 8-year-old and a 10-year-old, died in the shooting.

Fourteen of the 17 people injured were children and two of those children were in critical condition, O'Hara said.

O'Hara said three church parishioners, in their 80s, were hit by gunfire and were being treated.

Information about the extent of their injuries was not immediately released by law enforcement.

It was not immediately known whether any police officers suffered injuries in the shooting.

This story was updated to add additional information.

Contributing: Jeanine Santucci and Corey Schmidt

Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Minneapolis mass shooting suspect Robin Westman identified. What we know.

Reporting by Natalie Neysa Alund and Nick Penzenstadler, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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