Minneapolis police say the gunman who killed two children and injured 18 others at Annunciation Catholic Church this week had recently gone through a breakup that may have played a role in his violent spiral.The suspect, identified as Robin Westman, 28, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after Wednesday’s attack, which unfolded as children attended mass during their first week of school.Breakup and family accountAccording to Fox9, Westman’s father told investigators his son had “recently broke up with a significant and/or romantic partner” and was staying with a friend in the aftermath. Police described the breakup as a destabilizing factor in his personal life, adding that Westman appeared increasingly isolated in the weeks leading up to the shooting.Records also show that in 2018, officers conducted a welfare check at the home of Westman’s mother involving him as a juvenile – an early sign of mental health concerns.From heartbreak to hateJust hours before the attack, Westman uploaded a series of YouTube videos, including a manifesto where he described fantasies about “being that scary horrible monster standing over those powerless kids.” He also expressed admiration for the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre. In a letter addressed to family and friends, Westman apologized but insisted he still had “traits of empathy, self-sacrifice, and good character,” despite the violence he was about to unleash.Community in shockOn Wednesday morning, Westman fired through church windows at children and parishioners, then barricaded the doors with wooden planks. Minneapolis police chief Brian O’Hara called the act “one of the darkest tragedies imaginable,” as the community mourns the young lives lost and asks how personal turmoil escalated into mass violence.
