Annunciation Catholic Church shooting


On the morning of August 27, 2025, a mass shooting occurred at the Church of the Annunciation in the Windom neighborhood of Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States. The attack took place during a scheduled school-wide Mass attended by the students and faculty of Annunciation Catholic School. Two children, Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski, and the perpetrator died in the shooting. Thirty other people were injured: twenty-six schoolchildren and three elderly people from gunfire as well as a victim who sustained non-gunshot wounds. The perpetrator was identified as Robin M. Westman.

Background

Annunciation Catholic Church and its affiliated parochial school have been in southwest Minneapolis for more than a century. The parish community held its first Mass in 1922. On September 10, 1923, four Dominican Sisters opened Annunciation School in a new red-brick church-school building. The school enrolls students from pre-kindergarten to eighth grade. It offers daily religion classes and emphasizes service projects for each grade level. Enrollment in 2024 was about 340 students. The students practiced active shooter drills in the school but not in the attached church.
The shooting occurred two months after another act of violence in Minnesota that drew national attention: the shootings of state representative Melissa Hortman and her husband, and state senator John Hoffman and his wife. The Hortmans were killed in the shooting and the Hoffmans were injured. On August 26, the day before the Annunciation attack, another mass shooting occurred outside Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Minneapolis, injuring six and killing one.

Shooting

The attack at the church took place in the first week of classes at Annunciation School, during an all-school Mass scheduled for 8:15 a.m. CDT. Shortly before 8:30 a.m., an individual approached the side of the church and fired dozens of rounds from a rifle through the stained-glass windows towards worshippers inside; police later said the assailant also had a shotgun and a pistol that jammed. The assailant had barricaded at least two exit doors from the outside with lumber, making escape routes for those inside hard to find.
Witnesses later stated that they thought the gunfire was a prank or firecrackers before realizing and dropping to the ground, with the principal shouting shortly after to get down. Others indicated that, during the shooting, they prayed and asked for absolution, believing they were going to die. There were multiple reports of students and adults protecting each other, with one child reportedly being shot in the back while shielding another. A parent stated he felt the school's buddy system of pairing the older children with the younger caused many of the older students to be wounded, as they were upright longer after pushing their younger buddy under the pew.
Many parents and neighbors of the church and school ran towards the gunfire once they realized what it was. A neighbor recounted that, after the first three shots, he realized it was gunfire and ran to the church, where he saw three cartridges on the ground. Another neighbor came across three children fleeing the building and comforted one with a head wound. One mother had just returned home after dropping off her preschool-aged son when the gunfire erupted; she ran back to the church and alerted the teachers. While on her way there, she saw emergency responders and neighbors helping bloodied children out of the church.
The gunfire lasted roughly two minutes, ending when the shooter died by suicide in the rear parking lot. Approximately 116 rifle bullet casings, one unfired pistol cartridge, and three shotgun shell casings were recovered from the scene. The handgun appeared to have malfunctioned.
The initial 9-1-1 calls came in around 8:27 a.m. Minneapolis Police Department officers entered the building within minutes to render aid and rescue students. Paramedics transported victims who were injured to area hospitals, including Hennepin County Medical Center. The city directed families to the school building to reunite with students, and a family assistance center for support services was set up. Some students were reunited with their parents in the school's gym.
Shortly after 9 a.m., authorities said that there was no ongoing threat. The response involved the Minnesota State Patrol, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, agents from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and specialists from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, alongside the MPD and the Minneapolis Fire Department. The City of Minneapolis gave the all-clear at 9:29 a.m.

Victims

Harper Moyski, 10 years old, and Fletcher Merkel, 8 years old, died in the shooting. Moyski's parents shared a message demanding action to address gun violence. Officials did not immediately release the names of the deceased children; instead, the Merkel and Moyski families identified their children to the public after the attack.
Thirty other people were injured: twenty-six children, three adults and a person who sustained a non-gunshot wound. Authorities said the wounded children included elementary- and middle-school students, ages 6 to 15.
Officials said that all of the injured were expected to survive. Several victims were released from hospitals later on the same day, while others sustained more serious injuries.
Critical cases were routed to HCMC while noncritical pediatric patients went to Children's Minnesota Hospital, and noncritical adults to North Memorial Hospital. HCMC's emergency department reported that they treated ten patients overall from the scene. Later that day, the hospital said one adult and five children were in critical condition, and one adult and three children were being treated for non–life-threatening injuries. Four patients required surgery, according to HCMC and city officials. Two children were hospitalized for weeks with severe injuries. One was released from the hospital on September 8 after undergoing two brain surgeries.

Investigation

Local, state, and federal authorities opened a joint investigation led by the Minneapolis Police Department with assistance from the FBI and the ATF. Federal officials stated that the case was being investigated as an act of domestic terrorism and an anti-Catholic hate crime. MPD Chief Brian O'Hara said investigators executed search warrants at three residences in the Twin Cities area and searched a vehicle which was believed to belong to the suspect. Investigators collected and reviewed online materials—including videos and writings which were scheduled to be published on YouTube via time-release. The posts were removed shortly after being released.
Authorities said that the assailant acted alone, had no known criminal history, and used a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol which were all purchased legally and "recently", according to O'Hara. The ATF assisted with firearms tracing. Investigators said that they were still working to determine a precise motive.
Westman's father's house, located less than from the church, was cordoned off with crime scene tape and police were stationed outside.

Perpetrator

The perpetrator was identified by law enforcement as 23-year-old Robin M. Westman. Westman's mother had worked at Annunciation School, and Westman had attended Annunciation School before graduating in 2017.
Westman was assigned male at birth and had at one point identified as transgender. Westman's name was legally changed in 2019. In diary entries from before the shooting, Westman expressed disillusionment with being trans. There is no evidence that Westman had begun receiving gender affirming care or hormone replacement therapy.
Westman posted two YouTube videos, showing writings which referenced suicide, "extremely violent thoughts and ideas", a message addressed "to my family and friends", and a drawing of the layout of a church. The video showed messages written on the guns and magazines. These messages included antisemitic, anti-Catholic, and racist phrases, "kill Donald Trump", "6 million wasn't enough", and the names of several mass shooters. The channel was taken down shortly after the uploads.

Aftermath

Parents of both deceased victims issued statements, memorializing their children and thanking the community and their friends and family for support.
Hundreds gathered for a candlelight vigil at Lynnhurst Park in southwest Minneapolis, organized by Protect Minnesota and Moms Demand Action. During the days immediately afterward, mourners created a sidewalk memorial of flowers, notes, and candles outside Annunciation Church.
That evening, more than 600 people attended a prayer vigil at the Academy of Holy Angels, with Archbishop Bernard Hebda, Governor Tim Walz, and Senator Amy Klobuchar in attendance. Pope Leo XIV sent condolences by telegram from the Cardinal Secretary of State, conveying "spiritual closeness" to those affected.
On September 1, more than 100 students and parents gathered at the Minnesota State Capitol to demand stricter gun laws after the shooting. Many called for a ban on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines. A similar rally was held at the Lake Harriet bandshell, where attendees called for gun control and memorialized victims.
Shortly after the shooting, many Catholic educators and churches began to re-evaluate and reinforce their security protocols. The Archdiocese of Los Angeles Catholic schools said many had to update plans as they had only focused on the attacker gaining entry into the building, while the Archdiocese of Chicago will hold active shooter drills in their churches.
On December 6, 2025, Archbishop Bernard Hebda presided over a Solemn Rite of Reparation at the church, reconsecrating the space for sacred worship. Media were asked not to be present inside for the ceremony.

Responses

City and state

At a news conference, Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis announced that the city would open a family resource center and urged concrete action beyond expressions of sympathy. "Don't just say this is about thoughts and prayers right now... These kids were literally praying," he said. Frey added, "Anybody who is using this as an opportunity to villainize our transgender community has lost their sense of common humanity." Frey called for state and federal bans on assault weapons and high-capacity magazines.
Minnesota governor Tim Walz called the attack "a tragedy that brought devastation to a place that should be a safe space for children to learn", and ordered state flags flown at half-staff. In response to the shooting, Minnesota lawmaker Tom Emmer called for repealing the state's transgender refuge law passed in 2023.
Westman's uncle Bob Heleringer, a member of the Kentucky House of Representatives from 1980 to 2003, wished that Westman "would've shot me instead of innocent schoolchildren".