MN- Minneapolis, mass shooting at church, multiple fatalities, possible explosive device found. Aug 2025

[Serononin]

Very scary to think the shooting had been planned for years ?
I wish people could seek professional help if they know something is wrong with them.
This horror didn't have to happen.
Not knowing the complete financial situation of the shooter's family, esp. the parents -- but I do believe help would have been available if sought ?
Imo.

I'm beginning to understand why some parents read their kids' journals...

 

[JoeFromLB]

“In regards to my motivation behind the attack I can’t really put my finger on a specific purpose,” the passage read. “It definitely wouldn’t be for racism or white supremacy,” the notebook reads. “I don’t want to do it to spread a message. I do it to please myself. I do it because I am sick.”
..
The journal contained writings in English and Cyrillic, expressing, among other things, a desire to gun down “a big assembly on the first day of school”.

Neighbor saw cops surround Minneapolis shooter’s home as ‘surreal’ connection set in

Exclusive details: ‘This was not a family you would have thought this kind of thing would happen to,’ Jim White, who lives across the street from suspected shooter Robin Westman, told The Independent

www.independent.co.uk

A miracle that only two children were killed. It could have been a lot worse.

 

[Fraize]

Very scary to think the shooting had been planned for years ?
I wish people could seek professional help if they know something is wrong with them.
This horror didn't have to happen.
Not knowing the complete financial situation of the shooter's family, esp. the parents -- but I do believe help would have been available if sought ?
Imo.

There is strong cultural pressure in the US to avoid seeking professional help. So many of us grew up hearing "stop crying or I'll give you something to cry about" to the point where we just internalize those feelings and fail to work through them. On top of that, nobody wants their friends, family, or work finding out that they're "crazy," or get institutionalized with a 48 hour psych eval going on some kind of permanent record. Topping off the caca-sandwich is the mere fact that good psychiatric care is expensive.

Everybody agrees we have a mental-health crisis in the USA, but nobody wants to provide resources to solve the problem.

 

[Inthedetails]

Everybody agrees we have a mental-health crisis in the USA, but nobody wants to provide resources to solve the problem.

snipped and bbm.

Resources are expensive and require a public willing to spend public money.

jmopinion

 

[Dawookie]

Is this how it started for RW?

As a teenager, Robin Westman claimed to have been suspended after discussing school shootings with classmates – later writing in a journal that the incident was the origin of a deep obsession with mass shooters.

They did not have a cause, just a wish to join the mass murderers club:

“This is not a church or religion attack, that is not the message,” Westman wrote. “The message is there is no message.”:

RW did not want to get help, because it would ruin their plans:

“I can’t talk to a therapist or family cause I will immediately be reported and put on a watchlist!”

https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/28/us/journal-minneapolis-shooter-robin-westman-invs

So seeing this along with seeing Minnesota has red flag laws has led to a different line of thought when it comes to the mom and her hiring of a criminal defense attorney

First thing is did the mother know the shooter had acquired the firearms? Did she help them acquire the firearms by providing the money? Did the shooter slip up somewhere and the mom had an idea of their thoughts and she just kind of brushed it off thinking it wasn't a big deal? Did she know that Minnesota had a red flag laws?

I wonder if she hired the attorney because she thinks she might possibly be charged if she knew or had an idea of their thoughts and she didn't report them to the authorities?

 

[Ontario Mom]

Minneapolis church shooter's mother hires criminal defense attorney

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said "we have not been successful in talking to the shooter’s mother," Mary Grace Westman.

www.nbcnews.com

The mother of the shooter who opened fire Wednesday on a Minneapolis Catholic school during morning Mass has hired a criminal defense attorney, as police say they've been unable to reach her.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said that Robin Westman's family has been cooperating with investigators, but they have not yet located her mother, Mary Grace Westman. Records show that her residence is in Florida.

He said investigators have done dozens of interviews with the shooter’s family, friends and associates, and have talked to the shooter's father.

"I know we have not been successful in talking to the shooter’s mother yet at this time," O’Hara said at a news conference Thursday...

I do find it rather curious she intentionally hired a criminal defense attorney.
Did the dad hire one as well? Why does she think she needs such a legal defense at all?

 

[303gmf]

Juvenile records are sealed and unless the crime committed was one that would disqualifying them from owning a firearm it wouldn't show up in a background check

Perhaps in light of recent, (Columbine, 26 yrs ago) some laws need major updating!

 

[Fraize]

I do find it rather curious she intentionally hired a criminal defense attorney.
Did the dad hire one as well? Why does she think she needs such a legal defense at all?

I know we'd love to speculate about somebody's guilt or innocence based on behavior outside of the crime itself, but we need to be reasonable. Even if I knew I was innocent of any wrongdoing, the moment the police even look at me sideways I'm hiring a criminal defense attorney. No sense in hiring a real-estate lawyer to represent me during a police interrogation, right?

 

[Dawookie]

There is strong cultural pressure in the US to avoid seeking professional help. So many of us grew up hearing "stop crying or I'll give you something to cry about" to the point where we just internalize those feelings and fail to work through them. On top of that, nobody wants their friends, family, or work finding out that they're "crazy," or get institutionalized with a 48 hour psych eval going on some kind of permanent record. Topping off the caca-sandwich is the mere fact that good psychiatric care is expensive.

Everybody agrees we have a mental-health crisis in the USA, but nobody wants to provide resources to solve the problem.

All of this. I went through a nasty break up a few years back and ended up in a pretty bad place mentally. Got to the point where I had to reach out to get professional help or I was going to check myself into the hospital. Best decision I ever made as it helped me with through that along with some stuff pertaining to my childhood. And while its been expensive because my insurance has a different mental health provider for some reason and nobody within an hours drive, for me that is money well spent

 

[Fraize]

Perhaps in light of recent, (Columbine, 26 yrs ago) some laws need major updating!

The intention behind keeping juvenile records sealed is to protect young people from having their futures derailed by mistakes that can still be corrected. Unfortunately, the United States is moving away from a culture that values criminal rehabilitation. As a result, kids who end up in the juvenile detention system are increasingly less likely to break free from that cycle.

If it were up to me, I’d change that.

 

[knla]

I do find it rather curious she intentionally hired a criminal defense attorney.
Did the dad hire one as well? Why does she think she needs such a legal defense at all?

The parents of school shooter Ethan Crumbley were blamed, convicted of involuntary manslaughter and jailed. I would think it's hard for parents to conceive their child would actually do something horrible like shooting people. There are crazy people saying crazy things all over. Parents of shooters might be clamming up to protect themselves.

Parents of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley both sentenced to 10-15 years for involuntary manslaughter

James and Jennifer Crumbley were both convicted of involuntary manslaughter in their son Ethan’s deadly shooting at Oxford High School in 2021.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[fred&edna]

I know we'd love to speculate about somebody's guilt or innocence based on behavior outside of the crime itself, but we need to be reasonable. Even if I knew I was innocent of any wrongdoing, the moment the police even look at me sideways I'm hiring a criminal defense attorney. No sense in hiring a real-estate lawyer to represent me during a police interrogation, right?

why would the police be looking sideways at the mother. isn't it reasonable to wonder why... i mean, is there something special about her.

irc the parents of a mass shooter in kentucky 2023 didn't hide from police nor lawyer up. heck, they were on the today show just weeks after their son killed and seriously wounded others.

these mass killers are fundamentally all the same. what's different in this case... particularly with mom needing a criminal defense lawyer. if she doesn't want to talk to the press that's one thing.... but speaking to law enforcement is another entirely. i don't want to think she feels as special as her offspring did before killing innocents.

jmo

 

[Fraize]

why would the police be looking sideways at the mother. isn't it reasonable to wonder why... i mean, is there something special about her.

irc the parents of a mass shooter in kentucky 2023 didn't hide from police nor lawyer up. heck, they were on the today show just weeks after their son killed and seriously wounded others.

jmo

You can give me anecdotal evidence all day long of people shunning legal counsel during criminal investigations, and it would still be a breathtakingly unwise choice.

 

[Ontario Mom]

I know we'd love to speculate about somebody's guilt or innocence based on behavior outside of the crime itself, but we need to be reasonable. Even if I knew I was innocent of any wrongdoing, the moment the police even look at me sideways I'm hiring a criminal defense attorney. No sense in hiring a real-estate lawyer to represent me during a police interrogation, right?

I guess we all have our own thoughts on this but if my adult kid breaks the law and I had zip to do with it, I wouldn't be the least bit concerned about why LE wanted to speak to me. In fact, I'd be opening my door to them the second they knocked.

 

[Dawookie]

The parents of school shooter Ethan Crumbley were blamed, convicted of involuntary manslaughter and jailed. I would think it's hard for parents to conceive their child would actually do something horrible like shooting people. There are crazy people saying crazy things all over. Parents of shooters might be clamming up to protect themselves.

Parents of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley both sentenced to 10-15 years for involuntary manslaughter

James and Jennifer Crumbley were both convicted of involuntary manslaughter in their son Ethan’s deadly shooting at Oxford High School in 2021.

www.nbcnews.com

I've seen people being this up elsewhere but it's two different situations. He was 15 years old and they bought him the gun four days before the shooting. They were also called to the school the day of the shooting, shown a disturbing drawing of a gun along with a body that had been shot and the words "my life is useless, help me". They didn't inform anyone they had bought him a gun, didn't pull him out of school and when they got home did nothing to locate the gun. They were just as responsible for the shooting as their child was.

As far as we know right now, the mother has no culpability so her decision to hire a criminal defense lawyer right off the bat is a little odd

 

[tara83]

I guess we all have our own thoughts on this but if my adult kid breaks the law and I had zip to do with it, I wouldn't be the least bit concerned about why LE wanted to speak to me. In fact, I'd be opening my door to them the second they knocked.

I would talk to then but only with a lawyer by my side.

 

[Fraize]

I guess we all have our own thoughts on this but if my adult kid breaks the law and I had zip to do with it, I wouldn't be the least bit concerned about why LE wanted to speak to me. In fact, I'd be opening my door to them the second they knocked.

I totally get that. It definitely points towards how you were raised. I come from a family where many of them were members of law enforcement at some points. I was always taught to "be polite, be respectful, comply with every order, don't answer questions."

 

[Arkay]

The parents of school shooter Ethan Crumbley were blamed, convicted of involuntary manslaughter and jailed. I would think it's hard for parents to conceive their child would actually do something horrible like shooting people. There are crazy people saying crazy things all over. Parents of shooters might be clamming up to protect themselves.

Parents of Michigan school shooter Ethan Crumbley both sentenced to 10-15 years for involuntary manslaughter

James and Jennifer Crumbley were both convicted of involuntary manslaughter in their son Ethan’s deadly shooting at Oxford High School in 2021.

www.nbcnews.com

IIRC, Ethan Crumbley was a troubled minor whose parents facilitated his acquisition of a weapon. That made them culpable.

RW was 23 and purchased the guns legally, so IMO the parents here are not responsible.

I’m sure the mother is grieving the loss of her child as well as what her child did to these innocents. Yes, she will need representation to deal with everything, but unless she knew in advance, IMO there is no blame on her.

I assume that’s exactly why LE wants to interview her—-had she seen any signs?

JMO

 

[Ontario Mom]

I totally get that. It definitely points towards how you were raised. I come from a family where many of them were members of law enforcement at some points. I was always taught to "be polite, be respectful, comply with every order, don't answer questions."

Me too. Civilian LE and military both. I was taught the same things, except for the last one. Refusing to answer questions is a red flag you're possibly withholding something important even if you're not. At which point LE will look at you sideways. Again, folks have various opinions on this for sure.

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

The lawyer has been named and has given a short statement. imo