On the morning of Wednesday, August 27, 2025, a mass shooting took place at the Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The church was in session during a school-wide mass celebrating the beginning of the year when former student, 23-year-old Robin M. Westman, crept up the side of the church before 8:30 a.m., opened fire with a semi-automatic rifle through the church’s stained-glass windows, while students and staff remained inside.
Beforehand, the perpetrator barricaded two exit doors of the church with lumber, making it much more difficult for many trapped inside to escape. As soon as many realized the seriousness of the gunfire, principal Matthew DeBoer ordered everyone to drop down to the floor, where many adults and older children protected each other along with many of the younger students. The gunfire lasted around two minutes, and the shooter then entered the rear parking lot of the church and died by suicide.
Around 8:27 a.m., the first 9-1-1 calls started, and shortly after, the Minneapolis Police Department entered the church to rescue students and staff who were injured during the shooting. The injured victims were quickly transported to hospitals near the area or the Hennepin County Medical Center, while some students were reunited with their parents waiting for them inside the school’s gymnasium. A total of thirty people suffered from injuries, which included 26 children aged six to fifteen, three adults, and a person who suffered from a non-gunshot wound. Many of the victims were later released from the hospital the same day, while others stayed to have more serious injuries treated. During the shooting, 10-year-old Harper Moyski and 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel sadly lost their lives. Both the Moyski and Merkel parents identified their children publicly after the events of the shooting.
The perpetrator of the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting was identified as Robin M. Westman by law enforcement. Westman was a former student at the Annunciation School before graduating in 2017, and his mother had worked at the school as well. In 2019, Westman legally changed his name as he identified as transgender, transitioning from male to female. Before the shooting, Westman had uploaded two YouTube videos containing his final message to his family and friends, his suicide, violent thoughts, and a layout of the church. This video was found by authorities after the shootings. In the videos, there were multiple graphic words written on the guns used in the act that included racist, antisemitic, anti-Catholic phrases, and the names of multiple mass shooters. The messages on the guns and his journal were believed to be his motive for the shooting.
Similar tragedies raise awareness in many schools, among many teachers and administrators, and among all parents across America. The topic of school shootings brings up many questions about how teachers and staff at schools are preparing in case of an armed intruder on campus. BCCHS Social Science teacher Mrs. Wydra mentioned her plans in her classroom. Some of her steps to keep her classroom safe include looking for a weapon, barricading the door, helping calm down her students, and being alert to any updates from the principal via email. Mrs. Wydra believes that at Birmingham, there is a lot of security to handle any situation that occurs to keep students and staff secure.
