Minneapolis church shooter’s mom retains legal protection lawyer

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The mom of the shooter who opened fireplace on a Minneapolis Catholic church Mass Wednesday will not be cooperating with investigators as they attempt to decide what led to the tragic occasions that left two youngsters lifeless and 18 others injured, together with 15 youngsters.

Fox Information discovered the shooter’s mom, Mary Grace Westman, has retained legal protection lawyer Ryan Garry.

When requested why the mom obtained a legal lawyer, Garry informed Fox, "She is totally distraught in regards to the scenario and has no culpability however is looking for an lawyer to take care of calls like this."

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara mentioned dozens of interviews have been performed with the shooter’s family, pals and associates and people who witnessed the carnage unfold at Annunciation Catholic Church.

GRIEVING FATHER CALLS MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTER A 'COWARD' WHO TOOK LIFE OF HIS 8-YEAR-OLD SON FLETCHER DURING MASS

<source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/08/672/378/school-shooting-minneapolis-vigil-memorial-fox-news-011.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/08/1344/756/school-shooting-minneapolis-vigil-memorial-fox-news-011.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/08/931/523/school-shooting-minneapolis-vigil-memorial-fox-news-011.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/08/1862/1046/school-shooting-minneapolis-vigil-memorial-fox-news-011.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> Flowers and different choices sit at an intersection close to the Annunciation Catholic Church, which is dwelling to an elementary college and was the scene of a taking pictures in Minneapolis on Wednesday. (Tim Evans/Reuters)

"I do know we've not been profitable in speaking to the shooter’s mom, but, right now," O'Hara mentioned throughout a information convention Thursday. "However there proceed to be efforts made to get that achieved."

Court docket paperwork present the shooter’s mom utilized for her son to legally change his identify, writing in 2019, "minor identifies as feminine and needs her identify to replicate the identification."

It's not clear why the shooter’s mom will not be cooperating with investigators.

When requested by a reporter on Thursday if investigators had been in contact with the shooter’s father, O’Hara initially mentioned he couldn't verify that.

However the chief briefly had a facet dialog with Drew Evans, the superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Felony Apprehension, who mentioned his investigators had been in contact with the daddy.

KAROLINE LEAVITT CALLS PSAKI'S PRAYER COMMENTS 'UTTERLY DISRESPECTFUL' AFTER MINNEAPOLIS SCHOOL SHOOTING

<source media="(min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1023px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/08/672/378/school-shooting-minneapolis-vigil-memorial-fox-news-006.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/08/1344/756/school-shooting-minneapolis-vigil-memorial-fox-news-006.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="378" width="672"><source media="(min-width: 1024px) and (max-width: 1279px)" srcset="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/08/931/523/school-shooting-minneapolis-vigil-memorial-fox-news-006.jpg?ve=1&tl=1, https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/08/1862/1046/school-shooting-minneapolis-vigil-memorial-fox-news-006.jpg?ve=1&tl=1 2x" height="523" width="931"> Tim Barr prays close to the Annunciation Catholic Church Thursday in Minneapolis, the day after a faculty taking pictures there. (Abbie Parr/AP Photograph)

Nonetheless, investigators haven't but mentioned whether or not the shooter, recognized as 23-year-old Robin Westman, lived together with his mom or father, noting there are three addresses related to the person.

"I can’t confirm proper now which residence he was staying at instantly previous to the taking pictures, however that’s clearly one thing that may include the investigation because it continues," O’Hara mentioned.

The chief famous that the shooter attended Mass on the church whereas attending the college hooked up to the place of worship.

"The shooter’s mom was an worker of the parish beforehand for a while," O’Hara mentioned. "So, clearly there's a connection between the shooter and this explicit parish."

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Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara stands outdoors the Annunciation Catholic Faculty after a mass taking pictures Wednesday in Minneapolis. (Bruce Kluckhohn/AP)

At round 8:30 a.m., the suspect fired dozens of rounds into the church, shattering stained-glass and pew-side home windows as terrified college students and parishioners ducked for canopy.

Authorities haven't but launched a motive, although they've uncovered a manifesto the shooter had timed to be launched on YouTube. The video has since been taken down and is beneath investigation.

The manifesto, police added, appeared to indicate Westman on the scene and included disturbing writings.

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FBI Director Kash Patel mentioned Thursday the company’s investigation into the "barbaric" attack suggests the assault was an act of home terrorism "motivated by a hate-filled ideology."

He famous that the manifesto and writings on firearms displayed anti-Catholic and anti-religious references.

Particularly, the shooter expressed hatred and violence towards Jewish folks and wrote issues like "Israel should fall" and "Free Palestine" and used express language associated to the Holocaust, Patel mentioned.