The alleged shooter who killed two children at a Minnesota church on Wednesday wrote incendiary messages on gun magazines, including one that read “Kill Donald Trump.”
Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed Wednesday morning in the shooting at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis. Seventeen others were injured, including 14 children.
The shooter initially opened fire through a window as children were in pews praying, later entering the church and firing three firearms, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.
The images appeared in a manifesto posted online around the same time as the shooting, which happened shortly after 8 a.m. CT.
The manifesto included a lengthy written note from the suspected shooter as well. The video, which had been taken down from YouTube as of late Wednesday afternoon, also showed messages written on rifle magazines that said “For the Children” and “Where is your God.”
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said police hadn’t yet found any relationship between the shooter and the church, nor determined a motive for the bloodshed. The chief said, however, that investigators were examining a social media post that appeared to show the shooter at the scene and contained “some disturbing writings.”
“This level of violence is unthinkable,” Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said in a post on social platform X where she discussed the messages. “Our deepest prayers are with the children, parents, families, educators, and Christians everywhere. We mourn with them, we pray for healing, and we will never forget them.”
While local police officials have said they do not know of a motive yet in the shooting at Annunciation Church, FBI Director Kash Patel said the bureau is investigating the incident as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.
Patel confirmed the suspected shooter was identified as Robin Westman, who Patel and other top administration officials said identified as transgender.
Westman’s uncle, former Kentucky state lawmaker Bob Heleringer, said he did not know the accused shooter well, last saw Westman at a family wedding a few years ago, and was confounded by the violence: “It’s an unspeakable tragedy.”
“We’re praying for my sister and her other children and also, obviously, for these poor, poor children,” Heleringer said by phone.
The White House ordered flags to be lowered to half-staff to honor the victims of the shooting.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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