Authorities say the mother of the shooter who opened fire during Mass at a Minneapolis Catholic church is refusing to cooperate with investigators as they work to understand what led to the devastating attack that killed two children and wounded 18 others, including 15 children.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said investigators have conducted dozens of interviews with the shooter’s relatives, friends, and associates, as well as with parishioners who witnessed the carnage at Annunciation Catholic Church on Wednesday morning. But he acknowledged that efforts to speak directly with shooter Robin Westman’s mother, Mary Grace Westman, have so far been unsuccessful.
Police confirmed that the mother of 23-year-old Westman has hired prominent criminal defense attorney Ryan Garry. When questioned about her decision to retain legal counsel, Garry told Fox News: “She is completely distraught about the situation and has no culpability but is seeking an attorney to deal with calls like this.
“I know we have not been successful in talking to the shooter’s mother yet at this time,” O’Hara said during a Thursday news conference. “But there continue to be efforts made to get that done.” Police are still unsure as to why Westman's mother is not cooperating.
Court documents reveal that in 2019, Mary Grace Westman filed paperwork for her child to legally change their name, writing that the “minor identifies as female and wants her name to reflect the identification.” It remains unclear whether that history is connected to her reluctance to engage with investigators.
Authorities have also attempted to clarify the shooter’s living situation. O’Hara said three different addresses are associated with Westman, but investigators have not yet confirmed whether they were residing with their mother or father in the days before the shooting. The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension later confirmed that investigators had been in touch with the shooter’s father.
Both the parish and the school have longstanding ties to the Westman family. O’Hara noted that Robin Westman once attended Mass at the church while enrolled at the attached school, and that their mother previously worked as an employee at the parish.
The attack began around 8:30AM on Wednesday when Westman opened fire, shattering stained-glass windows and pew-side panels as horrified students, teachers, and parishioners scrambled for cover. Officials said the shooter fired dozens of rounds before turning the gun on themself.
While authorities have not yet released a definitive motive, they confirmed the discovery of a manifesto Westman had scheduled to post online. The video, which has since been removed from YouTube, included disturbing statements and appeared to show Westman at the scene.
On Thursday, FBI Director Kash Patel described the massacre as an act of domestic terrorism “motivated by a hate-filled ideology,” per The Guardian. Patel said investigators found writings on firearms and in the manifesto that expressed hostility toward Catholics and other religious groups, including violent anti-Semitic language and references to the Holocaust.
“This was a barbaric attack,” Patel said, stressing that federal and local investigators are now working to piece together how and why the assault unfolded.