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

[Inthedetails]

Do we know if she sought out this lawyer, or he phoned her? She lives in Florida, and I believe that this lawyer is in Minnesota. Many lawyers take high profiles cases pro bono to get their names in the news. It's good for future business.

JMO.

That would be unethical.

A lawyer shall not solicit professional employment by live person-to-person contact when a significant motive for the lawyer’s doing so is the lawyer’s or law firm’s pecuniary gain, unless the contact is with a:
(1) lawyer;
(2) person who has a family, close personal, or prior business or professional relationship with the lawyer or law firm; or
(3) person who routinely uses for business purposes the type of legal services offered by the lawyer.

https://www.americanbar.org/groups/professional_responsibility/publications/model_rules_of_professional_conduct/rule_7_3_direct_contact_with_prospective_clients/

 

[Teche]

Is mom a fulltime resident of Naples Florida?

 

[Dawookie]

Doesn't the mom live in Florida? Is it possible she wasn't aware of them buying guns and planning the attack because they were living in Minneapolis, while she was in FL? They probably didn't need her signature or other approval to purchase the guns.

Not taking sides, but just pointing out something that seems obvious, if accurate.

That could be confusion on my part as I thought she had a residence in both Minneapolis and Florida. It's quite possible she had no clue at all what was going on and no they wouldn't need her signature as they were an adult. I was just putting out there a possible reason why she may have hired a criminal defense attorney right off the bat if she had any inkling at all as it pertains to the red flag law.

 

[Betty P]

"Mother of Minneapolis shooter ​

hires high-profile lawyer.​

Mary Grace Westman
has retained an attorney
after the deadly Minneapolis school shooting.

'She is completely distraught about the situation
and has no culpability
but is seeking an attorney to deal with calls like this',
Attorney Ryan Garry said.

Garry was hired by NFL star Colin Kaepernick and his Know Your Rights Campaign to represent protesters after George Floryd's death in May 2020.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said at a news conference on Thursday
that dozens of interviews have been conducted with Robin Westman's relatives, friends and associates.

But officers
'have not been successful in talking to the shooter's mother',
he said.

It is unclear
why Mary Grace is not cooperating with investigators."

Classmates say Minneapolis shooter gave warning signs

LIVE UPDATES: Robin Westman had odd obsessions and demonstrated 'erratic' behavior as a child, former classmates have claimed.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Makes sense. She's a divorced/single woman who is very traumatized and has no one to screen calls and talk to the media.

 

[mickey2942]

I would always have a lawyer when talking to police. Even my stepbrother who is a cop told me the same thing. It would be nice to believe we have a perfect system and innocent people are never charged but sadly that's just not the case.

Truth. I even flunked a lie detector test, which I now believe is really a psychological test to get people to confess.

 

[arielilane]

Two years before the mental health call, police responded to a report of a “criminal offense” at the residence, according to a police report. But beyond noting that the case was closed, the report blacks out all the details describing the event.

Investigators say no red flags were raised before Minneapolis church shooter amassed an arsenal of guns

But police visited her home at least two times when she was a teenager, records show.

www.nbcnews.com

Aug 29


Minnesota has a red flag law that went into effect in January 2024, allowing family members and others to petition the courts to have guns removed from a person they believe poses a threat to themselves or the community. The state passed a law in 2023 requiring gun buyers to pass universal background checks and to obtain permits for pistols or semiautomatic military-style assault weapons.

But it does not appear any alarms were sounded as Westman amassed an arsenal that included the rifle, the pistol and the shotgun used in the attack on the church.

The shooter, he said, was able to “lawfully purchase these weapons.”

 

[arielilane]

Same article as above:

O’Hara added that Westman’s family has been cooperating with investigators, but they have not yet located her mother, who lives in another state. Records show her residence as being in Florida.

Ryan Garry, an attorney for Mary Grace Westman, told NBC News he did not have a comment at this time.

Investigators say no red flags were raised before Minneapolis church shooter amassed an arsenal of guns

But police visited her home at least two times when she was a teenager, records show.

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Betty P]

Is mom a fulltime resident of Naples Florida?

Yes, her official residence is Florida according to state records. See NBC News article above.

 

[Elley Mae]

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

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

Mary Grace Westman's attorney, Ryan Garry, told NBC News on Thursday that he had no comment at this time. The FBI and police department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.

…

Minneapolis Criminal Defense Attorneys - Ryan Garry LLC

Minneapolis Criminal Defense Attorneys. Specializing in drug crimes, criminal sexual conduct, assault charges, and more. Contact our MN Criminal Lawyers today.

ryangarry.com

 

[BayouBelle_LA]

Robin Westman, 23, targeted Annunciation Catholic School Wednesday after surveying the church in advance to see how many adults were around.
…
'Both times I went to the church, I didn't see any men under the age of 55,' Westman wrote in a combination of Russian Cyrillic and English.

'I only saw old people and some mom-aged ladies, some with very young kids. Even still, these boomers could be packing.'
…
'The school schedule is publicly posted online so I should go through that and look for events that look promising,' Westman wrote on July 25
…
‘Oooo! Aug. 27th, that is an all-school mass!'
…
On August 10, Westman wrote: 'I bet the front doors will be unlocked today. I will go to Starbucks at 8:40, chill there, [then] walk to the church at 9:30, arrive about three minutes late.'

During her stakeout, Westman arrived at the church pretending to be a lapsed Catholic looking to reconnect with the religion, a senior law enforcement official said, according to CNN.

Minneapolis shooter watched parents and carried out 'practice run'

Robin Westman, 23, wrote chilling plans in a notebook that appeared to point to several trips to the church beforehand: ''I only saw old people and some mom-aged ladies, some with very young kids.'

www.dailymail.co.uk

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Annunciation Catholic School shooting victims identified as 8-year-old boy who loved family and sports and 'joyful' 10-year-old girl

Fletcher Merkel’s father asked that his son be remembered “for the person he was and not the act that ended his life.” Harper Moyski’s parents said her “light will always shine through us.”

www.nbcnews.com

The two children killed in the tragic Annunciation Catholic School shooting Wednesday have been identified by family as 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski.

“Yesterday a coward decided to take our 8-year-old son Fletcher away from us. Because of their actions we will never be allowed to hold him, talk to him, play with him, and watch him grow into the wonderful young man he was on the path to becoming,” Jesse Merkel, Fletcher's father, said at a news conference outside the school Thursday...

Harper was also identified Thursday by her parents, Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin, who remembered her as a joyful child.

“We are devastated to share that our beloved daughter, Harper Moyski, was tragically killed in the recent school shooting. Harper was a bright, joyful, and deeply loved 10-year-old whose laughter, kindness, and spirit touched everyone who knew her,” they said in a statement...

 

[CSIDreamer]

Robin Westman, 23, targeted Annunciation Catholic School Wednesday after surveying the church in advance to see how many adults were around.
…
'Both times I went to the church, I didn't see any men under the age of 55,' Westman wrote in a combination of Russian Cyrillic and English.

'I only saw old people and some mom-aged ladies, some with very young kids. Even still, these boomers could be packing.'
…
'The school schedule is publicly posted online so I should go through that and look for events that look promising,' Westman wrote on July 25
…
‘Oooo! Aug. 27th, that is an all-school mass!'
…
On August 10, Westman wrote: 'I bet the front doors will be unlocked today. I will go to Starbucks at 8:40, chill there, [then] walk to the church at 9:30, arrive about three minutes late.'

During her stakeout, Westman arrived at the church pretending to be a lapsed Catholic looking to reconnect with the religion, a senior law enforcement official said, according to CNN.

Minneapolis shooter watched parents and carried out 'practice run'

Robin Westman, 23, wrote chilling plans in a notebook that appeared to point to several trips to the church beforehand: ''I only saw old people and some mom-aged ladies, some with very young kids.'

www.dailymail.co.uk

I know "mom aged ladies" who carry. RW and others like RW are the reason. JMO. Talk about preconceptions.

 

[Inthedetails]

I know "mom aged ladies" who carry. RW and others like RW are the reason. JMO. Talk about preconceptions.

Honestly, I don't think many of the men over 55 attending morning mass in a residential neighborhood in Minneapolis are "packing." Of course, I could be surprised, I realize that. I just think it's not likely.

But it is striking the shooter was pleased that most people were 55+ or moms with little kids and was happy at the idea of gunning them down while they worshipped as a community in peace.

jmopinion

 

[Sundog]

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.

In this particular case, though, the shooter of young and innocent children in church praying did not want to get any mental health help because the shooter wanted to hide the plans the shooter had to commit this hideous and evil plan. Which makes this even more unsettling. The shooter had choices and chose evil. The shooter knew that there were options, including getting help, but didn't want help, because then the shooter would have had difficulties hiding the shooter's plans.

 

[Sundog]

dbm

 

[Sundog]

ahhh... thanks for your clarification. i suppose the shooters other family members weren't wise when they cooperated.... thus, making mom special. why she would think she is so special is perplexing in a case such as this.

jmo

I think we'll find out there are other reasons why the mother has been silent up until now, not even having the attorney she hired make a statement that acknowledges the death of two children and so many others critically injured. JMO

 

[CSIDreamer]

Honestly, I don't think many of the men over 55 attending morning mass in a residential neighborhood in Minneapolis are "packing." Of course, I could be surprised, I realize that. I just think it's not likely.

But it is striking the shooter was pleased that most people were 55+ or moms with little kids and was happy at the idea of gunning them down while they worshipped as a community in peace.

jmopinion

My thoughts exactly.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Minneapolis church shooting search warrants reveal new details and evidence

The search warrants document at least 258 pieces of evidence in the shooting that left two children dead. The shooter's writings have come under scrutiny.

www.nbcnews.com

MINNEAPOLIS — The heavily armed assailant who opened fire during Mass at a Minneapolis Catholic school was found dead at the rear of the church with an apparent gunshot wound to the head, according to preliminary information in newly released search warrants.

Robin Westman, 23, was found dressed in black "tactical" gear with at least two firearms nearby in Wednesday morning's rampage at Annunciation Catholic Church, police said. Two children were killed and 18 other worshippers were injured.

A search warrant for the church said three guns were taken into evidence: a Taurus semiautomatic pistol, a Mossberg pump-action shotgun, and a Magpul semiautomatic rifle. Police found a wood board with a gas container and a metal pull pin on the ground, according to the search warrant, items that may have been intended to be used as a smoke bomb...

 

[teeby]

It's possible that there's something we don't know about the mother that makes her guilty. It's also possible that she simply freaked out about the possibility of being held responsible and got an attorney unnecessarily.

There's a lot of people in this thread saying that she should have known and should have made a red flag report. But lots of eighth graders are loners who get detention a lot and lots of high schoolers have mental health problems and the vast majority of them don't turn out to be school shooters. You can't get someone banned from gun ownership for any of that. You have to show that they are currently an actual threat. We don't know if the mom knew about any of the social media stuff.

Minnesota's red flag law is relatively new (Jan 2024) and the mom may not even have known it existed. I could see lawyering up if I felt like I should have made a report in retrospect but didn't know at the time that I could have.

What to know about Minnesota's red flag law after the Minneapolis Catholic church shooting

Minnesota is one of 21 states that allows judges to remove firearms from people who have been determined to be a danger to themselves and others.

abcnews.go.com

 

[fred&edna]

If I were in the mom’s shoes I don’t think I could put two coherent sentences together. Maybe an attorney is used for that reason. Some mothers love their children unconditionally. imo

There is such a thing as cooperating through an attorney. imo

ita... it's the lack of cooperation we've been hearing about that is concerning.

i'm behind on news since earlier today but maybe we will hear her attorney report the mother is now cooperating.

jmo