On the first week back to school after summer break, 23-year-old Robin Westman opened fire outside Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, killing two children and injuring 17 others.

Before the attack, Westman left a chilling suicide note to family and friends.

“Mass casualty situation”
The school shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church has rocked the U.S., adding another heartbreaking chapter to the ongoing crisis of children falling victim to gun violence.

The attack unfolded Wednesday, tragically killing two children and injuring 17 others. The shooter used a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol.

Speaking outside Hennepin Healthcare, Dr. Thomas Wyatt described how hospital staff sprang into action after being alerted to a “mass casualty situation.”

Seven patients arrived in critical condition, four needing immediate surgery. Of the 11 treated, nine were children between six and 14 years old.

Authorities identified the shooter as 23-year-old Robin Westman, who had attended the school for at least a year and was seen there in the days leading up to the school year. Westman’s mother had previously worked at the school until her retirement in 2021.

The hours before the attack
Court documents show that Westman, then 17, filed to change their name in 2020, identifying “as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.”

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed Wednesday that Robin Westman died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Only hours before the horrific attack, 23-year-old Westman uploaded a string of disturbing videos to YouTube — including what appeared to be a manifesto, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara revealed during a press conference.

In passages from the journal — written in English using the Russian Cyrillic alphabet — Westman detailed a fascination with violence and an obsession with mass shootings, particularly those targeting schools.

The letter, detailed in the now-deleted YouTube video, opened with an apology:

”I don’t expect forgiveness, and I don’t expect any apology,” he wrote. ”I have to hold much weight. But to my family and those close to me, I do apologise for the effects my actions will have on your lives. Please know I care for all of you so much, and it pains me to bring this storm of chaos into your lives. This will affect so many more people than the ones that are immediately involved.”

Mental health struggles
Westman went on to discuss mental health struggles and the weight of their despair:

”Please do not think you have failed as parents. I was corrupted by this world and have learned to hate what life is. Life is love, life is pain. I am tired of the pain this world gives out. Please move on and continue to give your love to brothers and sisters, and the rest of the world. They may not forgive you, but you need to move on from me. Forget my life and the pain I have brought.”

It also suggested that Westman had lost hope after believing they were dying of lung cancer linked to vaping.

”I don’t want the rest of my life to be as a cancer patient, in and out of hospitals, constantly being fretted about with people afraid to be too happy around me,” the shooter wrote

The note concluded with a final plea: ”Pray for the victims and their families.”

If you or someone you know is in crisis, call or text 988, or go to 988lifeline.org, to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also call the network, previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, at 800-273-8255, or visit SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources.