Catholic school killer in Minneapolis traced a history of chaos, culminating in a mass shooting: time-line account

In the aftermath of the horrific mass shooting at the Annunciation Catholic Church on Aug. 27, 2025, where Robin Westman, formerly known as Robert Westman, took the lives of two children and injured 18 more, investigators have been piecing together the shooter's past.

Robin Westman, who changed his name in 2019 with his mother, Mary Grace Westman, signing off on the change, had previously worked for a cannabis store called RISE in Minnesota for several months. Interestingly, the Minneapolis church shooter was a former employee of the same dispensary.

Westman's residential history shows that he had been staying at a St. Louis Park residence in the years leading up to the tragedy. Prior to the welfare check, the child and the child's mother, who were the subject of the investigation, were not found to be living with Westman at the time.

Mary Grace Westman, the shooter's mother, has refused to cooperate with police in the wake of the attack and has hired an attorney. It is unclear where she was residing in 2021, as the search results do not provide this information. On the contrary, it is known that both parents had Minneapolis addresses until at least that year.

Mary Grace Westman retired from her job at the church in 2021, and the custody agreement showed her as the primary caretaker, with her ex-husband, James Westman, given custody every other weekend. It is worth noting that the Westmans divorced in 2012, and Robin Westman was 11 at the time.

The FBI is investigating the mass shooting as a hate crime. Deputies were looking for a child and the child's mother who previously lived with Westman at the home. Police also made contact with James Westman, the shooter's father, who confirmed that the shooter drove a minivan police found at the scene.

Robin Westman left his job at RISE 11 days before the shooting. Intriguingly, it was reported that he had visited the church multiple times in the weeks leading up to the shooting to scout the location.

On Jan. 26, 2018, there was a mental health incident at the Westman home. The details are unclear. On the day before the shooting, a juvenile welfare check was conducted at Mary Grace Westman's Naples, Florida, condo.

The FBI arrived at Mary Grace Westman's Naples condo in the afternoon, though she was not home when agents arrived. In 2016, police responded to a "criminal offense" at the Westman home. The case was closed.

Robin Westman, the Minneapolis church shooter, committed suicide at the scene of the shooting. This tragic event has left the community reeling and investigators working tirelessly to understand the motives behind this senseless act of violence.