Democrats Who Pretend DOJ Weaponization Didn’t Happen Under Biden Get Schooled By Sen. Hawley
Democrat timing is disingenuous, coming a day after evidence that former President Joe Biden used the FBI to spy on Republicans senators.Democrat timing is disingenuous, coming a day after evidence that former President Joe Biden used the FBI to spy on Republicans senators.Catholic leaders urge Cardinal Cupich not to award pro-abortion radical Dick Durbin
The Archdiocese of Chicago announced last week that Cardinal Blase Cupich will give Democratic Sen. Dick Durbin (Ill.) a lifetime achievement award on Nov. 3.
The prospect that a prince of the Holy See will pay honors to a radical pro-abortion activist has prompted significant backlash from prominent Catholic leaders.
'This decision risks causing grave scandal, confusing the faithful about the Church’s unequivocal teaching on the sanctity of human life.'
According to Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America's national pro-life scorecard, Durbin, a self-identified Catholic, gets a failing grade for routinely voting in support of virtually limitless abortion.
Durbin voted, for instance, in January against the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act, which would require health care practitioners to save babies who survive attempted abortions. He has also voted against legislation that would have criminalized abortions for unborn babies 20 weeks along or older; against adding status-quo Hyde Amendment protections to COVID relief funds; against a bill that would prohibit partial-birth abortion; and for legislation expressing support for protecting access to abortions after the Supreme Court's 2022 Dobbs decision.
In case there was any doubt about his indefatigable support for abortion, Durbin stated on the third anniversary of the Dobbs ruling in June that "this fight is far from over" and that he plans to keep fighting for mothers' legal ability to snuff out the lives growing within them.
RELATED: Attacks against American Catholics and churches are out of control
Concerning abortion, the church holds that abortion is a grave moral sin — the procurement of which incurs an automatic excommunication — and that political leaders have a responsibility to protect the unborn.
"The Catechism of the Catholic Church" clearly states:
- "Human life must be respected and protected absolutely from the moment of conception" (2270);
- "Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion. This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable. Direct abortion, that is to say, abortion willed either as an end or a means, is gravely contrary to the moral law" (2271);
- "Formal cooperation in an abortion constitutes a grave offense. The Church attaches the canonical penalty of excommunication to this crime against human life" (2272); and
- "The inalienable rights of the person must be recognized and respected by civil society and political authority. These human rights depend neither on single individuals nor on parents; nor do they represent a concession made by society and the state; they belong to human nature and are inherent in the person by virtue of the creative act from which the person took his origin" (2273).
For decades, Durbin has been barred from receiving communion in the Catholic diocese where he grew up on account of his radical pro-abortion activism.
Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield, who has long upheld the prohibition, said in a 2018 statement, "Because his voting record in support of abortion over many years constitutes 'obstinate persistence in manifest grave sin,' the determination continues that Sen. Durbin is not to be admitted to Holy Communion until he repents of this sin. This provision is intended not to punish, but to bring about a change of heart. Sen. Durbin was once pro-life."
Despite Durbin's long-standing efforts to advance policies diametrically opposed to the moral teaching of the Catholic Church, the Archdiocese of Chicago noted in its announcement for the Nov. 3 "Keep Hope Alive Benefit," subtitled "Light in the Darkness," that Durbin will receive a lifetime achievement award for his work with immigrants.
The plan is for Cardinal Cupich to give the award to Durbin on behalf of the Archdiocese of Chicago's Office of Human Dignity and Solidarity.
Blaze News has reached out both to the Archdiocese of Chicago and to Durbin's office for comment.
RELATED: Man posted a message in a private Catholic group chat — then the FBI came knocking
Illinois Right to Life President Mary Kate Zander was among the first to condemn the planned honors for the abortion activist, stating, "The Church emphasizes that human beings are integrated persons and that we cannot live in spiritual harmony if we are denying even one aspect of the truth of the faith."
"Presenting Dick Durbin with an award — and from the Office of Human Dignity, no less — is an explicitly inconsistent and un-Catholic choice by Cardinal Cupich," continued Zander.
"Our shepherds are supposed to proclaim Jesus' teaching that all human life is sacred," Dr. Mary Elizabeth Keen of the Catholic Medical Association’s Illinois chapter told CatholicVote. "Senator Durbin has spent his career eliminating protections for the most vulnerable members of the human family."
Bishop Paprocki said in a statement to the Pillar that he was shocked to learn of the archdiocese's plans to give Durbin an award.
"Given Senator Durbin’s long and consistent record of supporting legal abortion — including opposing legislation to protect children who survive failed abortions — this decision risks causing grave scandal, confusing the faithful about the Church’s unequivocal teaching on the sanctity of human life," continued Paprocki. "Honoring a public figure who has actively worked to expand and entrench the right to end innocent human life in the womb undermines the very concept of human dignity and solidarity that the award purports to uphold."
Bishop Paprocki noted further that such an award might violate the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' guidance that "the Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles."
The guidance adds that "they should not be given awards, honors, or platforms which would suggest support for their actions."
Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of the Archdiocese of San Francisco indicated on Sunday that he stands in solidarity with Bishop Paprocki in urging Cardinal Cupich to reconsider giving Durbin the award.
"Bishop Paprocki, who is Senator Dick Durbin’s bishop, has expressed shock that the Archdiocese plans to honor Senator Durbin who, although a self-professed Catholic, supports access to abortion so radically that he has even opposed legislation to protect babies born after an attempted abortion," wrote Archbishop Cordileone. "Bishop Paprocki is correct that both clarity and unity are at risk. I hope this will be a clarion call to all members of the Body of Christ to speak out to make clear the grave evil that is the taking of innocent human life."
Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!Trump bans weaponized feds — but FBI still hunts Catholics
On his second day back in the Oval Office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order to shut down the weaponization of the federal government — but the FBI is still targeting traditional Catholics, defying both the law and his directive.
Americans were outraged after a declassified FBI memo approved in October 2022 revealed that Richmond FBI had begun investigating some "radical-traditionalist" Catholics for their supposed ties to "the far-right white nationalist movement" as well as their opposition to abortion and "LGBTQ protections" in the law.
Why is the FBI 'snooping on my private chat of 43 Catholic men in South Louisiana?'
Then-Director Christopher Wray insisted in July 2023 that the memo was "a single product by a single field office," but the Committee on the Judiciary and the Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government later determined that FBI offices in Portland, Los Angeles, and Milwaukee also contributed to its development.
While the Trump administration has made significant strides in neutralizing the anti-Christian bias pervading federal agencies and the threat of the deep state against law-abiding Christian Americans, it seems that some rad-trad Catholics may still be under surveillance.
Blaze News spoke with Ross McKnight, one of the leaders of La Nouvelle Vendée, a Catholic group comprising mainly men that aims to "resist secularism," reclaim their "patrimony," and "restore Christendom in Louisiana by implementing the Doctrine of the Social Reign of Christ the King."
McKnight said that FBI Special Agent Beau Barker has made contact with him and another member in recent weeks, expressing concerns about some "online" comments.
Living out the Catholic faith, unredacted
McKnight told Blaze News that the group formed two years ago and that he and about 40 other men have a private Telegram chat in which they readily share their views. He made clear that the group holds to traditional Catholic teaching without apology.
"There's a necessity for Catholic social action towards the social kingdom of Christ," he said. And to that end, he and his fellow LNV members gather to pray the rosary, especially at events that promote sin, such as Pride parades.
McKnight also noted that the religion of Islam is a "heresy" and therefore is in conflict with the Catholic Church. "Muslims are historically what we would call a public enemy of the Catholic Church," he said.
On account of these views regarding Islam, the group strongly opposed the sale of a Catholic church in Buffalo, New York, to a Muslim group that intended to convert the sacred building into a mosque. McKnight shared a screenshot of part of their Telegram conversation about the prospective mosque. In it, McKnight states: "I look forward to the day wherein we [redacted], [redacted], and completely [redacted] that place, which may not be so far away."
RELATED: Police drag away a man for saying he likes bacon near a sprawling mosque construction site
McKnight confirmed to Blaze News that he used the word "redacted" in brackets intentionally, though he did not clarify what he meant.
"We don't hate Muslims. We hate the heresy that is Islam. And so that's what we're fighting. We're not fighting Muslims as people," he explained.
"I don't have any intention of doing anything violent," he continued.
The FBI gets involved
McKnight said he was just going about his business on August 22, 2025, when he received an unexpected phone call. The caller identified himself as Beau Barker, a special agent with the FBI.
"Hey, I'd like to talk to you about something you posted online," Barker said, McKnight recalled.
When McKnight demurred, Barker more or less indicated McKnight didn't have much of a choice. "I asked him for details. He wouldn't provide them. He just said, 'I want to talk to you,'" McKnight explained. "And I said, 'Well, is it voluntary?' He said, 'Yes, but ... basically, we'll come to you if you don't come to us.'"
'We do not conduct investigations based solely on First Amendment protected activity, including religious practices.'
Just a few days later, Barker rang McKnight again. When he didn't get an answer, he and a sheriff's deputy just showed up at McKnight's house, McKnight claimed.
Once again, McKnight pressed Barker for "details," wanting to know why an FBI officer was so interested in him, but to no avail. Barker never divulged any details and left the property without much more conversation.
McKnight soon hired a lawyer. Last week, he told his attorney to advise Barker that he would not be speaking with him.
Blaze News reached out to the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff's Office to confirm that a deputy accompanied Barker on this visit. A representative said only that she found no record associated with McKnight's name. The representative did not respond after Blaze News attempted to find out whether there were any records associated with McKnight's address.
'Right on the line'
Because Barker was so tight-lipped about the purpose of his contacts with McKnight, McKnight is left to speculate about what that purpose might be. Since Barker apparently mentioned concerns about something McKnight "posted online," he cannot even be sure the issue stems from the private Telegram group.
However, Barker also reportedly made contact with another member of the LNV, who indicated that the FBI "found something borderline threatening" in their messages.
The other member then confirmed that Barker was focused on McKnight's "[redacted]" statement. Without actually crossing into threatening territory, the FBI suggested to McKnight's friend that those words in reference to the mosque were "right on the line."
"Which indicates to me that it's not over the line," McKnight noted to Blaze News.
RELATED: The idols and lies behind the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting
To the best of his knowledge, McKnight and his friend are the only two members of La Nouvelle Vendée who have been contacted by federal agents.
McKnight does not know how the FBI became so familiar with his group and their conversations, whether Barker or another agent infiltrated the group chat or whether a group member with "a chip on their shoulder" aired grievances with the agency.
In response to a request for comment, FBI New Orleans told Blaze News: "The FBI's mission is to protect our communities from potential threats while simultaneously upholding the constitutional rights of all Americans. We focus on individuals who commit or intend to commit violence and activity that constitutes a federal crime or poses a threat to national security. We do not conduct investigations based solely on First Amendment protected activity, including religious practices."
The case also points to an apparently ongoing problem of FBI agents using weak pretenses to investigate faithful Catholics despite the change in leadership in the White House and on the Seventh Floor. Blaze News has reached out to Director Kash Patel for comment.
Why is the FBI "snooping on my private chat of 43 Catholic men in South Louisiana?" McKnight wondered.
"I'm just a nobody," he added.
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CNN, NYT, USA Today All Publish Stories About Shooter Without Mentioning His Trans Identity
The propaganda press ignores the key transgender angle and makes the shooting about God or 'conservative activists.'ABC Anchor Twists Facts To Falsely Portray Christian-Hating Shooter As Trump Supporter
Few moments best capture ABC News’ reputation as “propaganda press” better than anchor Aaron Katersky’s misleading coverage of the alleged anti-Christian, anti-Trump Minneapolis school shooter — who Katersky effectively portrayed as a Trump supporter on Wednesday. Robin Westman, a man who identified as trans and legally changed his name from Robert, allegedly opened fire at […]Liberal media bends over backward to avoid 'misgendering' gunman who murdered kids in church
Trans-identifying degenerates have carried out or attempted to carry out a number of mass shootings in recent years.
For instance, in March 2023, a trans-identifying woman stormed into a Presbyterian elementary school in Nashville and murdered three 9-year-old children — Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs — and three adults — teacher Cynthia Peak, custodian Mike Hill, and head of school Katherine Koonce.
'She identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.'
In April 2024, a male-identifying woman planned to shoot up an elementary school and a high school in Maryland but was thankfully stopped in time by police, then later convicted.
The liberal media has consistently used used the preferred pronouns of these and other murderous trans-identifying criminals in an apparent effort to coddle the offenders and to placate LGBT activists.
A trans-identifying man formerly known as Robert Westman shot up a Catholic church full of children in Minneapolis on Wednesday, injuring 17 and killing two kids, ages 8 and 10. After the shooter was revealed to be a so-called "transgender," the media once again feverishly rushed to accommodate and reinforce this delusion.
CNN talking head Jake Tapper noted on his show that the gunman's mother "applied to change her child's name in 2019. It was at one point Robert Paul Westman."
"But since she identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification, was underage, it's now Robin Westman," continued Tapper, faithfully employing the killer's preferred pronouns.
RELATED: Attacks against American Catholics and churches are out of control
While Newsweek initially referred to the shooter using male pronouns, it updated its article on the gunman, referring to him as a "her." The Daily Mail went the distance, using both she and her pronouns in reference to the dead man.
'If you've noticed, they are misgendering and dead-naming the murderer.'
In a section that has since been scrubbed, the Washington Post referred to the shooter as Mary Westman's "daughter" — a term the publication Le Monde also used in reference to Mary Westman's murderous son — and called the gunman a "she." The Post later added that the gunman was "assigned male at birth."
While the Independent dared to call Westman a "he," it similarly referred to the trans-identified shooter as a plurality, using the possessive pronoun "their."
The New Republic and the Guardian both opted to avoid male pronouns although the former noted that Westman "shot themself in the back of the church" and the latter stated that Westman "killed themself."
When several liberal publications correctly referred to the trans-identifying female shooter behind the Covenant School massacre in 2023 as a woman, James Kirchick, a contributing writer to the New York Times, aped out, telling Bill Maher, "If you've noticed, they are misgendering and dead-naming the murderer. Right? They are referring to the murderer by their given name, not their chosen name ... referring to her as a woman, as opposed to what her identity apparently was — was a man."
Virginia Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears weighed in, telling Maher and the liberal writer, "Hang on, you know what: This person murdered six people. I don't really care who you say you are. You murdered six people, and three of them were children."
"You don't get a say," continued Earle-Sears, noting that's a forgone conclusion in this case because "she's dead now, so you know."
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Trans-identifying man with a ‘twisted mind’ said, ‘I want to die,’ before opening fire on Catholic Mass in Minneapolis
A hate-filled 23-year-old male who claimed to be transgender and said he had a “twisted mind” and wanted to die opened fire on a full Annunciation Catholic Church in south Minneapolis on Wednesday, killing two children and injuring 17 while fulfilling “a final act that has been in the back of my head for years.”
Robert Paul Westman, who had his name legally changed to Robin M. Westman in January 2020, left behind a handwritten letter, journals, a video, and a trove of information that serve as ample evidence of a deeply disturbed mind and soul, FBI sources confirmed to Blaze News.
‘I was corrupted by this world and have learned to hate what life is.’
Apparently recorded Aug. 26, a video allegedly posted by Westman to YouTube but later scrubbed after the shooting described a deeply depressed individual who had hatred toward the Catholic faith, President Donald J. Trump, Jews, and the children he was about to massacre with his rifle.
Westman, whose mother used to work at Annunciation Catholic Church, expressed regret for what his crime would do to his family, but said, “I will be selfish and leave you to pick up the pieces,” according to pages of the letter shown in the video.
While asking his parents, family, and friends to “pray for the victims and their families,” Westman nevertheless dripped with disdain and anger, saying, “F**k those kids.”
According to Minneapolis police, Westman stood outside the church during holy Mass for the opening of the 2025-26 school year at Annunciation Catholic School. He fired a rifle through the church windows, striking more than 20 children and adults praying inside. As police closed in on the church, Westman committed suicide in the back of the church, police said.
The FBI is investigating the shooting as an act of anti-Catholic domestic terrorism, Director Kash Patel posted on X.
‘Wanted this for so long’
In his goodbye letter and video, Westman said he has experienced depression and had thoughts of suicide and of committing a mass shooting for a long time.
“I have wanted this for so long. I am not well,” Westman wrote. “I am not right. I am a sad person, haunted by these things that do not go away. I know this is wrong but I can’t seem to stop myself. I am severely depressed and have been suicidal for years.
“Only recently have I lost all hope and decided to perform my final action against this world,” Westman wrote. “I don’t want to kneel down for the injustices of this world. I want to die. I’d rather die on my feet than live on my knees, constantly in pain.”
‘It seems to me that he hated God and hated creation.’
Evidence of Westman’s hatred of Catholicism was easy to find in his letter and video. He let out a demonic-sounding laugh when showing a depiction of Jesus Christ in a crown of thorns, pasted to the top of a paper target from a shooting range. Below Christ’s image was a caption that read, “He came to pay a debt He didn’t owe. Because we owe a debt we cannot pay.”
On the video, Westman showed off his collection of magazines for his rifle. Each had messages written in white ink or paint, including: “F**k this world,” “For the Children,” “Killer sadist,” “Kill Donald Trump,” “Have fun,” “Suck on this,” “kill pedos,” “F**k everything that you stand for,” “Eat s**t fa**ot,” and “Kick a Spic.”
On one magazine was the message, “Where is your God?” although while showing it off on camera, Westman said it this way: “Where is your f***ing God now?”
On one side of a Mossberg 590 pump-action shotgun shown on the video was the message, “Take this all of you and eat,” mimicking the words spoken by Christ at the Last Supper when He instituted the Holy Eucharist.
Westman picked up and showed off what appeared to be a snub-nose .38-caliber handgun and said, “This one’s for me in case I need it.” It is not yet known which weapon he used to commit suicide.
RELATED: FBI investigating atrocious Minnesota shooting as anti-Catholic hate crime
Above those words was another message, “F**k this world.” Below it was written, “Baruk Khazâd,” a battle cry from the works of Catholic author J.R.R. Tolkien that means “axes of the dwarves.”
Westman apparently scrawled anti-Jew and anti-Israel messages on his shotgun and on a canister of smoke intended for use at one of the exits from the church. On the canister of smoke was written, “Jew gas.” On his shotgun was written, “Israel must fall.”
Most Rev. Bernard A. Hebda, archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, did not address any specifics of the attack on Annunciation Catholic Church, but asked for prayers from “all men and women of good will.”
‘I just want to escape from this world.’
“I beg for the continued prayers of all of the priests and faithful of this Archdiocese, as well for the prayers of all men and women of good will, that the healing that only God can bring will be poured out on all those who were present at this morning’s Mass and particularly for the affected families who are only now beginning to comprehend the trauma they sustained,” Archbishop Hebda wrote in a letter on the archdiocesan website.
RELATED: Tone-deaf Democrats lash out over prayers for Christians murdered in devastating Minnesota shooting
“While we need to commit to working to prevent the recurrence of such tragedies, we also need to remind ourselves that we have a God of peace and of love, and that it is His love that we will need most as we strive to embrace those who are hurting so deeply,” the archbishop wrote.
In his goodbye letter, Westman apologized to his parents and siblings for the pain his crimes were about to bring upon them.
“I truly appreciate the love you have given me,” Westman wrote to his parents, Mary Grace and James Westman. “I feel I was raised to be a good person. I’ve kept those traits of empathy, self-sacrifice and good character. Please do not think you have failed as parents. I was corrupted by this world and have learned to hate what life is.”
Court-approved name change
Mary Westman petitioned a court in Dakota County, Minn., for her son, Robert Paul Westman, to change his name to Robin M. Westman. According to court records, the name change was granted, effective Jan. 15, 2020.
In his letter, Westman expressed the belief that he was dying of cancer.
“It’s a tragic end, as it’s entirely self inflicted,” Westman wrote. “I did this to myself, as I cannot control myself and have been destroying my body through vaping and other means. I think I have lung cancer. I have felt many pains that make me think I am past the point of recovery. I do not want to recover.”
He credited his family and friends with helping to give him a longer life.
“You all are what kept me going. I find no more interest in anything material,” Westman said. “I have only an interest in my mission and love for my family. If I didn’t have such an amazing group of people around me, I would have been gone much sooner.
RELATED: Covenant school trans shooter's full manifesto released: 'If God won’t give me a boy body ...'
“I just want to escape from this world,” he wrote. “Escape from the constant bills, s**tty jobs, s**tty people and injustice of America. I am done with this. I will not bow. I will be selfish and leave you to pick up the pieces. It’s my fault. Blame me, but please move on.” Westman had also written “ATTA” on one of his weapons, along with the word “Mashallah.” Atta was an apparent reference to Mohamed Atta, one of the airline hijackers on Sept. 11, 2001. Mashallah is a phrase referring to the power of “Allah,” the god of Islam.
Robert Spencer, founder of the Jihad Watch website, said Westman appears to have aligned himself with forces of evil.
“It seems to me that he hated God and hated creation and so identified with historically destructive forces, such as Islamic jihadis and haters of Jews,” Spencer told Blaze News in an email.
According to the advocacy group CatholicVote, there have been 520 attacks on Catholic churches in the United States since May 2020, including 40 so far in 2025.
“Attacks spiked dramatically after the draft Supreme Court opinion overturning Roe v. Wade was leaked in May 2022,” CatholicVote wrote on its website. “At least 354 attacks have been perpetrated against Catholic churches since the Supreme Court leak, with many including graffiti with pro-abortion messages.”
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Tone-deaf Democrats lash out over prayers for Christians murdered in devastating Minnesota shooting
In the aftermath of the atrocious mass shooting at a Minnesota Catholic church, several Democrats jumped at the opportunity to denounce prayer.
A masked man horrifically shot and killed two children, ages 8 and 10, while they were praying in the pews of Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis on Wednesday morning. The assailant also left 17 others injured, including two in critical condition.
The shooter, who was later identified as Robin Westman, took aim at the innocent children and other Mass attendees through the stained-glass windows before taking his own life in the parking lot.
'Stop praying for a f**king minute and demand action.'
In response to the senseless tragedy, leaders from President Donald Trump to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz (D) conveyed their deepest sympathies and offered prayers to the families of the victims.
Although the response was largely bipartisan and unifying, some Democrats took it upon themselves to lash out.
RELATED: Gov. Walz's condemnation of Trump's efforts to make Democrat-run cities safe aged really poorly
Jen Psaki, former press secretary for the Biden administration, managed to twist the atrocity into a political critique of the Trump administration while simultaneously dismissing prayers offered by Americans across the country.
"Prayer is not freaking enough," Psaki wrote in a post on X. "Prayer does not end school shootings. Prayers do not make parents feel safe sending their kids to school. Prayer does not bring these kids back. Enough with the thoughts and prayers."
"When kids are getting shot in their pews at a catholic school mass and your crime plan is to have national guard put mulch down around DC maybe rethink your strategy," Psaki said in another post.
RELATED: Gunman opens fire at Catholic church; police say there are about 20 victims
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey (D) echoed Psaki, saying that prayers were an insufficient response to the atrocity that took place at the Catholic church.
"Don't just say that this is about thoughts and prayers right now," Frey said in a press conference following the shooting. "These kids were literally praying. It was the first week of school. They were in a church."
Brian Krassenstein, a left-wing political commentator, made similar remarks on his X account Wednesday, insisting that people "stop praying for a f**king minute and demand action by people and not just God."
"Praying is the problem here, not the solution," Krassenstein said. "People use prayer instead of action. If prayer worked a house of prayer wouldn’t have just experienced this tragedy."
"Prayer becomes a problem when it takes the place of real action that could save children’s lives," Krassenstein said in another post. "If that offends you, good, it should."
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Dead Minnesota church shooting suspect identified. Video suggests he was transgender and anti-Trump.
New York Post columnist Karol Markowicz indicated that the shooter who opened fire on a Minneapolis Catholic church full of children Wednesday — injuring 17 and killing two kids, ages 8 and 10 — was named Robin Westman.
Two sources familiar with the investigation told the Minnesota Star Tribune that Westman, 23, is indeed the suspected shooter.
'I regret everything. I didn't ask for life. You didn't ask for death.'
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Wednesday confirmed on X that that the shooter was "claiming to be transgender."
Indeed, conservative influencer Harrison Krank obtained an alleged court document indicating that Westman went through a name change in 2020 — going from Robert to Robin. The document notes further that Westman "identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification."
KARE-TV noted that "the shooter was 23-year-old Robin, formerly Robert, Westman."
RELATED: Gunman opens fire at Catholic church; police say there are about 20 victims
Law enforcement sources said Westman grew up in Richfield and that Westman's mother was an employee at Annunciation School, KARE reported, adding that records show Westman's mother retired from the school in 2021.
The station added it's also believed that Westman attended the school for at least one year and that Westman had visited the school in the last week, while teachers prepared for the upcoming school year.
Westman allegedly shared a video to YouTube ahead of the shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church.
The clip shows an image of Jesus Christ inside a shooting target. In addition, in the video the alleged shooter giggles effetely while showcasing his arsenal on a bed — a rifle, a shotgun, a revolver, and a handgun — and displaying statements on his weapons that include, "Where is your God?"; "Kill Donald Trump"; "I'm the woker, baby ... Why so queerious?"; "pain and hate"; "f**k you, eat s**t faggot"; "Get clapped." At least three names also are written on one of the rifle magazines.
While playing with rifle rounds, the alleged shooter states in the video, "I'm sorry to my family, but that's it — that's the only people I'm sorry to. F**k those kids."
At one point in the video, the alleged shooter also states, "I regret everything. I didn't ask for life. You didn't ask for death."
The alleged shooter also shows an apparent manifesto in the video while stating, "I hope you can read that." The apparent manifesto makes an appearance in another video and appears to have been written largely using the Cyrillic or Russian alphabet. Markowicz identified some of the writing on the weaponry as Russian, including a statement that is translated as, "I'm a terrorist."
While leafing through the apparent manifesto in the second video, the alleged shooter pauses on a drawing of what appears to be the interior of Annunciation Catholic Church — then stabs the page with a knife. He concludes the video by stating, "That's all I do: I fall, I break, and I die."
According to police, the shooter barricaded the church doors from the outside with 2x4s and began opening fire into the church through the windows from the outside. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara called the shooter a "coward."
Police said the shooter opened fire with a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol and ultimately shot himself to death in the back of the church.
Minneapolis Police on Wednesday didn't immediately reply to Blaze News' request for confirmation of the shooter's reported identity as Robin/Robert Westman nor of the accuracy of the report that the YouTube video is of Westman.
The tragedy appears to parallel the 2023 Covenant School massacre in numerous ways.
A 28-year-old woman stormed into a Presbyterian elementary school in Nashville on March 27 that year armed with a rifle, a pistol, and a handgun. The trans-identifying shooter proceeded to murder three 9-year-old children — Evelyn Dieckhaus, William Kinney, and Hallie Scruggs — along with three adults — teacher Cynthia Peak, custodian Mike Hill, and head of school Katherine Koonce.
The shooter's manifesto was replete with criticisms of religion, and she similarly expressed a revulsion for innocence.
"Kill those kids!!! Those crackers Going to private fancy schools with those fancy khakis and sports backpacks with their daddies mustangs and convertibles. F**k you little s**ts," wrote the female shooter. "I wish to shoot your weak ass d**ks with your mop yellow hair, wanna kill all you little crackers!!! Bunch of little f****ts with your white privileges. F**k you f****ts."
Editor's note: This story was edited after publication to include a statement from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
This is a developing story.
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Mel Gibson's long-awaited biblical sequel is finally happening
Fans of actor and producer Mel Gibson can finally start getting excited to feast their eyes on an epic sequel to one of his most iconic films.
In fact, fans will actually get two sequels within a matter of months, according to a new announcement by Lionsgate Films, which teased the release of a new film in May. At that point, fans neither had a release date nor an indication that Gibson had an ace up his sleeve regarding the planned release.
'The ancient stone towns and landscapes evoke the biblical world while also echoing the early church's rise from suffering to glory.'
Now we know that Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ" is officially getting the trilogy treatment, Newsmax reported. The sequels will hit theaters approximately six weeks apart in the first half of 2027.
Lionsgate released a teaser revealing the films "The Resurrection of the Christ" parts one and two, with a planned release date on Good Friday, March 26, 2027, for part one and May 6, 2027, for part two. The latter marks Ascension Day, which celebrates Jesus Christ's ascension into heaven.
The two films will likely explore Christ's descent into the underworld to redeem souls, also known as the Harrowing of Hell, according to Newsmax. Inside sources also told the outlet about the estimated budgets for the films, which could be more than three times that of the original film.
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"The Passion of The Christ" took in more than $80 million on its opening weekend against a $30 million budget in 2004, with Box Office Mojo stats showing the film took in a whopping $600 million worldwide.
Insiders told Newsmax the budget for the two new films could exceed $100 million. Filming is set to begin in Rome; other planned filming locations reportedly include the southern Italian towns of Altamura, Ginosa, Gravina, Laterza, and Matera.
The rich history of the region is integral to the story Gibson is trying to tell, Blaze Media faith editor Chris Enloe explained.
"These specific filming locations give Gibson's movies a physical and spiritual authenticity that few places on earth can offer," he said. "The ancient stone towns and landscapes evoke the biblical world while also echoing the early church's rise from suffering to glory. Gibson isn't just telling a story. He's inviting viewers into a space where history, faith, and cinematic vision converge."
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Gibson was named by President-elect Donald Trump as a special ambassador to Hollywood in January shortly after Gibson's 69th birthday.
Trump said he hoped Gibson, along with fellow appointees Sylvester Stallone and Jon Voight, would help make the "very troubled" Hollywood great again.
"These three very talented people will be my eyes and ears, and I will get done what they suggest," Trump said at the time, per Variety.
Trump promised the ambassadors would help return Hollywood to its "golden age."
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