A madman walked up to a Minneapolis church on Wednesday morning and opened fire on innocent children. Robin Westman, 23, shot through the windows of Annunciation Catholic School during morning mass. Two little kids, ages 8 and 10, lost their lives while 17 others were hurt.
This evil attack targeted the most innocent among us. Fourteen children were wounded in what should have been a safe place of worship. The gunman came armed with multiple weapons and fired dozens of rounds at defenseless children and families. This was pure evil unleashed on God’s house.
The warning signs were there for everyone to see. Westman posted disturbing videos online before the shooting that talked about violence and suicide. The killer even drew a map of the church layout and posted it for the world to see. Yet nobody stopped this monster from carrying out this sick plan.
Here’s what makes this story even more disturbing. Westman had changed names in 2020 and now identified as a woman. The shooter’s mother had worked at this very church for five years before retiring in 2021. This was someone with inside knowledge who used it to hurt children.
Our churches and schools are under attack by mentally ill individuals who hate everything we stand for. These sacred spaces where families gather to worship have become targets for deranged killers. We cannot let this become the new normal in America.
The police response was swift, but it was too late for those precious children. Two kids will never go home to their families because our system failed to stop a known threat. How many more manifestos need to be posted online before someone takes action.
This tragedy shows what happens when we ignore mental health crises in our communities. The shooter lived just minutes away from the church and had clear connections to it. Neighbors described the family as keeping to themselves, yet another red flag that was missed.
America’s children deserve better protection than this. We need real security at our churches and schools, not empty promises from politicians. Until we take these threats seriously and act on warning signs, more innocent lives will be lost to monsters like Robin Westman.
