Minnesota shooting: Here's what we know about the Catholic Church tragedy that killed 2 children

The FBI said on Wednesday that it is investigating the shooting in Minneapolis as domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics, and that the person responsible is a transgender person, born a male but self-identified as a female. 

FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the alleged mass shooter responsible for killing two children and injuring 17 other people at a Minneapolis Catholic Church has been identified as Robin Westman, who was born Robert Westman. The suspect is deceased, reportedly by a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 

"The FBI is investigating this shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics," Patel wrote on X. "The FBI will continue to provide updates on our ongoing investigation with the public as we are able."

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said at a news conference that officers responded just before 8:30 a.m. local time to a shooting at a mass at the Annunciation Catholic Church during the students' first week of school. During the mass, the gunman approached the outside of the building, began shooting at the church windows, striking children and other worshipers at the mass. 

Law enforcement said they believe the shooter acted alone and that there is no active threat to the public.

Here is what we know about the alleged shooter:

The suspect has been identified as Robin Westman, who was born Robert Westman but legally changed his name in 2020, according to the New York Post. It was not immediately clear why the alleged shooter changed his name.

Police officials said Westman's mother used to work at the church until she retired in 2021, the outlet reported. Westman was equipped with a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol.

The alleged shooter also intended to shoot as many children as he could and expressed admiration for other mass shooters, including Sandy Hook shooter Adam Lanza, according to a manifesto obtained by the New York Post.

“I have a deep fascination with one man in particular: Adam Lanza,” he wrote in the manifesto on May 23. “Sandy Hook was my favorite, I think, exposure of school shootings.”

O'Hara said the suspect was not previously known to law enforcement and died on the scene from what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Gun magazines were also found on the site with the words “for the children” and “kill Donald Trump" scrawled on them.

A local CBS News outlet reports that the suspect was transgender, who was born male but identified as female. Just The News has not independently confirmed this.

The victims: 

A total of 17 people were injured in the shooting, consisting of 15 children and two adults. The children's ages range from six through 16 and are being treated at two local hospitals. At least seven of the children are in critical condition, per the Associated Press.

The two people who died were also children, who were aged eight and 10. The identities of the victims have not been released so far.

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.