January 1, Church Shooter’s Mother Refuses to Help Police

Wyatt’s Take

• The shooter’s mother is not talking with the police after a deadly church attack in Minneapolis.
• Authorities have talked to the father but still don’t know where the shooter was living.
• Police are looking into a hateful manifesto found online.

After a tragic shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic church Mass, the mother of the shooter is not talking to investigators, leaving questions about why this tragedy happened. Two children died and 18 were hurt, many of them young.

Mary Grace Westman, the shooter’s mother, has hired a defense attorney. Her lawyer said,

“She is completely distraught about the situation and has no culpability but is seeking an attorney to deal with calls like this.”

Police Chief Brian O’Hara said they have tried to speak with Westman but have not been successful yet. They are still working to contact her as part of the investigation.

Court papers show that in 2019, Westman helped her child legally change names, stating the minor identified as female. Investigators are unsure why she won’t cooperate.

The shooter, Robin Westman, is 23. Authorities say they have found three possible home addresses and still don’t know if Robin lived with the mother or the father right before the attack. The father has spoken with police.

The shooter attended church services growing up, and the mother used to work for the parish. Police are checking if these ties played a role in what happened.

During the attack, dozens of shots flew through stained glass and church windows as children and churchgoers hid in fear. The shooter left a manifesto, which is under investigation.

Authorities said the writings in the manifesto, and on the weapons, showed hate against Catholics and other religions. The shooter wrote anti-Jewish messages, calling for harm with phrases like “Israel must fall” and “Free Palestine.” The video the shooter planned to post online has been removed by police.

FBI Director Kash Patel called the shooting an act of domestic terrorism fueled by a hate-filled ideology.

Stories like this hit close to home. Trust and safety in your local church mean everything to families in the heartland. This tragedy is a reminder to look out for each other and to stand strong in our values.

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Wyatt Matters

Faith and community hold Middle America together. A tragedy like this rattles our trust but also shows the importance of watching out for one another and standing firm when our values are tested.