Transgender mass shooter Robin Westman, 23, confessed in a handwritten manifesto that he was “tired of being trans” and wished he had “never brain-washed” himself before opening fire at a Minneapolis Catholic church.
The attack killed two children and wounded 17 others before Westman took his own life.
The writings, posted online shortly before the shooting, were partly encrypted in a mix of Russian Cyrillic script and English words.
Translated passages showed Westman expressing regret over his transition and resentment over his long hair, which he said symbolized his identity struggle.
Troubling Confessions
“I only keep [the long hair] because it is pretty much my last shred of being trans. I am tired of being trans, I wish I never brain-washed myself,” he wrote. In another entry, he admitted, “I regret being trans.. I wish I was a girl I just know I cannot achieve that body with the technology we have today. I also can’t afford that.”
Court documents show Westman legally changed his name from Robert to Robin in 2020 after identifying as female.
Yet in later writings, he acknowledged uncertainty, noting he “definitely didn’t feel like a man” but also no longer wanted to live as a woman.
Attack on Catholic School
Westman carried out the assault Wednesday morning at Annunciation Catholic Church and School, where he had once been a student.
Armed with a rifle, shotgun, and pistol he had purchased legally, he opened fire through the stained glass windows during morning Mass.
Police said two students were killed instantly, while 17 others were injured, some critically.
His notebook revealed that the church had been specifically chosen as a target. His mother had worked there as a secretary for five years before retiring in 2021.
Violent Fantasies
The writings also detailed fantasies of killing children, including wanting to be the “scary horrible monster standing over those powerless kids.”
Westman referenced the Sandy Hook school massacre and scrawled political and violent phrases such as “kill Donald Trump” on his gun magazines.
Videos posted online hours before the attack showed the same messages alongside his journal pages, further confirming his intent.
