Minneapolis School Shooting: Gunman Robin Westman Scrawled “Nuke India”, “Mashallah” on Weapons, FBI Probes Hate Crime

A deadly Minneapolis School Shooting: Gunman Robin Westman Scrawled “Nuke India”, “Mashallah” on Weapons, FBI Probes Hate Crime. The city of Minneapolis was rocked by a horrifying school shooting on Wednesday morning when a former student opened fire during Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church and School, killing two children and injuring at least 17 others.

The shooter, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, carried multiple weapons inscribed with disturbing phrases including “Nuke India,” “Mashallah,” “Israel Must Fall,” and “Kill Donald Trump.” Authorities confirmed that the massacre is being treated as both an act of domestic terrorism and an anti-Catholic hate crime.

Police revealed that among the injured were 14 children between ages 6 and 15, along with three elderly parishioners in their 80s. Despite the shock and grief, officials stated that all the wounded are expected to survive.

Minneapolis School Shooting: Gunman Robin Westman Scrawled “Nuke India”, “Mashallah” on Weapons, FBI Probes Hate Crime

Disturbing Slogans on Weapons

Images and videos circulated online, some shared by conservative activist Laura Loomer, showing chilling slogans scrawled on Westman’s firearms and ammunition magazines. Among the inscriptions were:

• “Nuke India”
• “Mashallah”
• “Israel Must Fall”
• “6 million wasn’t enough” (a reference to the Holocaust)
• “Jew Gas”
• “Burn Israel”
• “Kill Donald Trump”
• “Psycho killer”
• “Free Palestine”

According to the Anti-Defamation League’s Center on Extremism, Westman appeared deeply fascinated with past mass shooters, especially Adam Lanza, the gunman behind the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre.

Journals recovered at the scene revealed an obsessive admiration for mass killers and violent fantasies targeting children.

The Attack at Annunciation Catholic School

Witnesses described scenes of panic and chaos as gunfire shattered the stained-glass windows of the century-old church.

“The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible,”
— Police Chief Brian O’Hara

The shooter approached the church from the side, barricading some doors with wooden planks, and opened fire with a rifle, shotgun, and handgun. Dozens of bullets tore through the windows into the pews where children were attending Mass.

Eyewitness Accounts

• Weston Halsne, 10, said he was sitting just two seats away from the shattered window:

“It was like right beside me … I think I got gunpowder on my neck.”

• A 10-year-old survivor told CBS affiliate WCCO that his friend shielded him by diving on top of him:

“My friend saved me though, because he laid on top of me, but he got hit in the back.”

• Local resident Patrick Scallen described rushing to the scene:

“It was eerily quiet … then people started to pour out. I saw children who were obviously hurt. One girl asked me, ‘Can you just please hold my hand?’”

FBI Labels Attack a Hate Crime

The FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed the federal agency is treating the case as an act of domestic terrorism and an anti-Catholic hate crime.

The shooter’s weapons and writings pointed to a blend of antisemitism, anti-India sentiment, anti-Israel extremism, and anti-Catholic hatred, leading investigators to probe ideological influences.

While speculation has emerged about political and religious motivations, police have not yet confirmed an official motive.

Shooter’s Background

Authorities revealed that Robin Westman, who previously identified as Robert before transitioning, was an ex-student of Annunciation Catholic School, graduating in 2017.

His mother, Mary Grace Westman, had worked at the school before retiring in 2021.

Investigators uncovered online videos Westman posted hours before the attack, showing weapons marked with hateful slogans and referencing other mass shooters.

Authorities quickly removed the videos, but clips had already gone viral on X (formerly Twitter).

The Deadly Timeline

• Just before 8:30 a.m. – Gunfire erupted during a school Mass.
• Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed instantly in the pews.
• 17 people were injured, including 14 children and 3 elderly parishioners.
• The shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the church parking lot.
• A smoke grenade-like device with antisemitic writing was found at the scene.

Community in Mourning

Pope Leo XIV Responds

The newly elected Pope Leo XIV, the first American pope, expressed his sorrow:

“I am profoundly saddened by this incomprehensible act of violence against children at prayer.”

Minnesota Leaders React

• Governor Tim Walz called the tragedy “all too common” and urged the nation to move beyond platitudes toward real gun violence reforms.
• Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey tearfully told reporters:

“These kids were literally praying. They should be able to go to school or church in peace without fear.”

Shooter’s Manifesto and Obsession with Violence

The shooter’s journal, reportedly written in both English and Russian, included:

• Gun diagrams and schematics
• Admiration for mass shooters, especially Adam Lanza
• Fantasies about killing “powerless children”
• Antisemitic and anti-Israel rants

The writings confirm what investigators describe as a “deep fascination with mass killings” rather than any singular political ideology.

Flags at Half-Staff

In response, US President Donald Trump ordered flags nationwide to be flown at half-staff. He called the incident a “heinous act of cruelty” and pledged federal support to Minnesota.

Calls for Action Against Gun Violence

The tragedy has reignited debates about school safety and America’s gun laws.

Annunciation’s school principal, Matthew DeBoer, said:

“We as a community have a responsibility to make sure that no child, no parent, no teacher ever has to experience what we’ve experienced today ever again.”

Governor Walz added:

“Keep us in your thoughts and prayers, but also keep us in your thoughts for action.”

Also Read: 1 Dead, 11 Injured in Hickory, North Carolina House Party Mass Shooting

Conclusion: A Community Torn, A Nation Haunted

The Minneapolis school shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church has shaken not just Minnesota but the entire country. With children gunned down in a place of worship, hateful slogans on weapons, and a manifesto glorifying mass killers, the tragedy highlights the intersections of hate, extremism, and America’s gun crisis.

As the FBI pursues its investigation, families grieve, and survivors heal, one haunting reality remains clear: this was not just an attack on a school, but on faith, innocence, and community itself.

Also Read: Minneapolis school shooter Robin Westman was ‘tired of being trans, wished I never brain-washed myself’