In a heart-wrenching tragedy during its first week back, Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, became the target of a horrific act of violence. Robin Westman, a transgender-identifying biological male formerly known as Robert, unleashed a deadly attack during a mass service attended by Catholic worshippers, including many schoolchildren. Driven by an obsession with mass murder, Westman opened fire before taking his own life.
The toll of the attack stunned the tightknit community: 17 individuals were injured, 14 of them young children, with two in critical condition. A 5th grader at the school recounted a heroic act, sharing that his friend was shot while shielding him from gunfire. Tragically, two children, ages eight and 10, lost their lives in the attack.
Emerging details paint a chilling picture. Fox News reported that Westman was able to obtain three weapons legally. Additionally, a translated manifesto, a now-deleted YouTube video, and words inscribed on his murder weapons revealed Westman’s deep-seated animosity toward Christians and Jews, with fantasies of mass shootings dating back to at least the seventh grade. This disturbing revelation underscores the calculated nature of his actions. The FBI has said they’re investigating this attack as a hate crime against Catholics.
On Wednesday’s episode of “Washington Watch” with guest host Jody Hice, president of Lionheart International Services Group, Tim Miller, was welcomed on to further discuss the tragedy. Miller’s background is extensive: a former Secret Service agent, he has 30 years of law enforcement and military experience, including leadership roles at Homeland Security, law enforcement, and the Marine Corps, where he retired as lieutenant colonel.
Miller drew parallels to the Covenant School shooting in Nashville, noting, “[U]nfortunately, it’s a repeated script. … A person struggling with gender identity attacked innocent children that could not defend themselves.” He highlighted the absence of security at the school, despite prior state requests to Governor Tim Walz (D) for enhanced measures for private and religious schools in the state. Miller pointed out that “it’s important to realize … we’re still at the very, very beginning, but the information that we’ve already heard is shocking,” Miller said, describing the attack as clearly “demonic” with “satanic focuses.”
“Let me tell you,” he added, “it doesn’t get more evil than [to] target innocent children that can’t defend themselves. But it does convey the level of hatred and the animosity.” But perhaps most disturbingly, Miller expressed alarm at the lack of proactive monitoring, pointing out “there weren’t warning signs. … My question would be, who was watching his social media? Who was monitoring this person’s life and able to say, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, time out?’”
According to Westman’s manifesto, he allegedly held other school shooters in high regard. “That’s sick,” Miller asserted. But then, he added, this begs the question: “Are there other threats out there that we need to get a handle on?”
In a separate “Washington Watch” interview, Rep. Addison McDowell (R-N.C.) reflected on the timing of the tragedy, which happened during President Donald Trump’s ongoing efforts to combat crime, particularly in Washington, D.C., with plans to expand these initiatives nationwide. McDowell, a father of two, shared his grief: “[I]t is unimaginable. … [A]s somebody that has … two young children, you want to believe that they’re safe when they’re not with you. I just cannot fathom what the moms and dads that are having to now bury their children … are going through.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D), alongside other leftist voices, have claimed that thoughts and prayers are “not enough,” arguing that this is not a time to pray. However, Christians — including those directly affected by the shooting — are taking this as an opportunity to explain why prayer is important, as well as the power behind it. For example, Vice President J.D. Vance posted on X that “we pray because our hearts are broken. We pray because we know God listens. We pray because we know that God works in mysterious ways, and can inspire us to further action.”
Echoing that sentiment, McDowell called for prayer: “We have to pray for the teachers that were there that witnessed all of this, because they are going to have a real job to do now as they minister to these children that had to witness this.” And “we’ve got to pray for the parents of the children that were there that weren’t harmed.” He added, “I’m so grateful that there wasn’t more carnage,” McDowell said, adding, “I hope that we can all join together … remembering these young children and these parents.”
Editor's Note: This article originally appeared here.
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