Minnesota Shooting Suspect's Manifesto Uploaded to YouTube Reveals Mental Health Struggles

Two children are dead and 17 individuals are injured following a shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minn.

The incident occurred Aug. 27, 2025, and ended when the suspect died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. They were later identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, who left behind a series of disturbing YouTube videos, as well as a handwritten manifesto.

Unlike some manifestos, Westman's detailed a life that was filled with a loving family and supportive friends. Because she asked for forgiveness for what was about to happen, it shows that Westman understood the difference between right and wrong.

The YouTube videos, which have since been removed from the platform, had a slightly different tone. Here's what we know.

The video of Westman going through her manifesto was shared by the Daily Mail TikTok account. In it, the suspect has laid the four-page laminated letter on her bed while sarcastically saying, "Hope you can read it." Westman turns the pages and ends by saying, "Peace, love, unity, and guns."

It was written to her family and friends and begins by stating she does not expect anyone to forgive her. She then apologizes to her mother, father, and siblings, then asks them all to move on.

Westman goes on to say that she loves her family before addressing her friends. "I am sorry for the confusion and heartbreak this will bring," she writes. "I appreciate all of you for showing me a good life and helping me through dark times."

She says that despite all of the kindness shown to her, there is too much pain in the world. "I am not well. I am not right," says Westman. "I know this is wrong, but I can't seem to stop myself."

The letter takes a strange turn when Westman reveals she believes she is dying of cancer and does not want to spend the rest of her life in a hospital. She wants to go on her own terms, but per Westman, her depression and anger have pushed her to "fulfill a final act" that has been on her mind for years.

She concludes by telling one of her siblings to make up with their money, then cautions people against reading her journals unless they "REALLY want to know."

In one of Westman's YouTube videos, she bragged about meeting a man named Brandon Herrera at a Shooting, Hunting, and Outdoor Trade Show (SHOT) in 2024, per The Independent.

She said they agreed on a lot of things and suggested people vote for Herrera for president. Herrera, a gun influencer with over 4 million followers on YouTube, said in a post to X that he doesn't remember meeting Westman.

He went on to say he was physically sickened and angry over what happened and is working with law enforcement.