FBI Director Kash Patel Says the Minnesota School Shooting Suspect Was Targeting Catholics

The mayor of Minneapolis is firing back at those who offer thoughts and prayers following a shooting at a Minnesota school. The incident occurred at Annunciation Catholic School, reports CNN. Mayor Jacob Frey expressed frustration over the response. "Don’t just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now," he said. "These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school. They were in a church."

Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the surviving students inside the school have been reunited with their families. The shooting left two students dead and at least 20 injured. Despite reports that explosives were at the scene, none have been found. Here's what we know about the school shooting suspect.

The Minnesota school shooting suspect has been identified as 23 year old Robin Westman, reports The Washington Post. Mary Westman, the suspected shooter's mother, applied for a name change for her child back in 2019. Per Dakota County, Minn. court records, Westman wanted to change her name from Robert to Robin because she "identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification."

A YouTube channel believed to be Westman's shows them displaying an arsenal of guns and ammunition, along with a handwritten manifesto, per KSTP. In the four-page letter, Westman begins by saying they don't expect forgiveness. "I do apologize for the effects my actions will have on your lives," they wrote. They go on to discuss their depression and suicidal thoughts that plagued them for years. It ends by asking for prayers for the family members of the victims.

Westman is the youngest of three siblings, whose parents divorced in 2013. All three children lived in Hastings, Minn. at the time of the divorce and attended private school. The identify of the suspected shooter was confirmed by FBI director Kash Patel who said in a post to X that the "FBI is investigating this shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and hate crime targeting Catholics."

According to ABC News, a gunman approached Annunciation Catholic School just before 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 27. The suspect began "firing a rifle through church windows,' said Chief O'Hara. The suspect also had a shotgun and a pistol. They shot "towards the children sitting in the pews at the mass," explained Chief O'Hara who said they also aimed at other worshipers. Dozens of rounds were fired.

Chief O'Hara said they are still looking into a motive behind the attack. The suspect, who died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound, has no known criminal history. The two children who were killed were 8 and 10 years old. Children ages 6 to 14 are being treated for injuries at one Minneapolis-area healthcare system.

Thomas Wyatt, Chair of Emergency Medicine at Hennepin Healthcare, told CNN that nine of the 11 patients are being treated at this hospital. They range in age from 6 to 11. Wyatt said some pediatric patients are in critical condition. "Up to this point in time, there have been no fatalities related to any of those patients that were brought to our organization," said Wyatt. This is an ongoing story.