Minneapolis Catholic School Shooting: 1,500 Documents Released, Motive Still Unclear

Nearly 1,500 photos and hundreds of pages detail law enforcement's swift response to the Aug. 2025 Annunciation Church shooting. But why Robin Westman killed two children remains unanswered.

Minneapolis Church Shooting: Documents Reveal Police Response, But Little on Why

Nearly 1,500 photos and hundreds of pages of witness interviews, evidence logs and officer accounts from the deadly shooting at Annunciation Church and School in Minneapolis have been released — but shed little light on why the attacker opened fire, ABC News US reports.

The records, published by city officials one year after the Aug. 27, 2025 attack, document a rapid law enforcement response to the shooting carried out by 23-year-old Robin Westman. The attack killed 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski. At least 21 other children and adults were wounded before Westman died by suicide.

Officers on Scene Within Minutes

Dispatch records included in the document release show the first officers arrived approximately three and a half minutes after the initial report of a possible shooting. By that point, Westman — armed with a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol, as well as knives, smoke bombs and multiple rounds of ammunition — was already on the ground with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The documents describe a sprawling crime scene: bullet holes across the church, shell casings recovered from the playground and from the walls and gutters of nearby houses. The first officers to enter the sanctuary reported victims lying across pews, "vast" amounts of blood, broken glass and the smell of gunpowder.

Officers triaged as many patients as possible, including an adult shot in the leg in the parking lot who was losing blood rapidly. An officer applied a tourniquet and rode with her to the hospital, where medical staff said he likely saved her life. One officer's written report noted he had not reviewed his body camera footage from the incident — and did not plan to.

Survivors Describe Chaos Inside the Church

Many of those present told officers they were seated during Mass when gunfire began outside and windows started to shatter. Several described holding interior church doors closed as they heard exterior doors rattling. Children told officers they had taken cover under pews or followed adults to sheltered areas elsewhere in the building.

Preschool teachers described barricading classrooms and working to keep children calm. Officers also documented a crowd of parents gathering outside, searching for their children or spouses who worked at the school — including one woman whose husband had hidden with their child near an ice machine in the church basement.

Westman's Background and State of Mind

While much of the released material confirms previously reported information, a small number of new details were made public — including some of Westman's actions in the period before the attack.

Investigators had already stated that Westman appeared "full of hatred" and showed what they described as admiration for previous mass shooters, whose names were written on the weapons, gear and ammunition used in the attack. The writings also included statements targeting religion, race and ethnicity, forming what investigators described as an unclear mix that provided little insight into Westman's choice of target.

A search warrant included in the documents revealed that Westman's car was fitted with a dashcam. Officers who reviewed the footage wrote that Westman appeared agitated following a visit with family and at times sobbed, before driving past the church and school the evening before the attack.

Transcripts of police interviews with Westman's father, ex-girlfriend, a close friend and former co-workers describe Westman as somewhat of a loner prone to depression. Several said Westman had expressed suicidal thoughts years earlier, but said they had not perceived any indication that Westman was capable of harming others.

Westman's father told investigators he had not had reason for concern before the shooting, noting only that his child had been struggling to eat and had lost significant weight. Several relatives declined to cooperate with law enforcement entirely, according to the records.

Further Releases Expected

City officials said additional documents and video footage could be released in the coming weeks. Much of the material already made public has been redacted to protect the privacy of victims. No photographs or visuals from inside the church were included in the release.

Source: ABC News US