‘I love when kids get shot: Shooter’s journal reveals sick obsession behind US church massacre

A gunman who opened fire on a Minneapolis church filled with young students during a back-to-school Mass was "obsessed with the idea of killing children," authorities revealed Thursday, citing disturbing journals, videos, and a manifesto recovered in the aftermath of the deadly attack.

Two children, aged eight and ten, were killed, and at least 18 others, including worshippers and elderly parishioners, were injured when the attacker sprayed bullets through the stained-glass windows of the Annunciation Church. The shooting unfolded on Wednesday, just days after the start of the new school year.

The attacker, identified as 23-year-old Robert Westman, died by suicide in the church parking lot following the massacre. Authorities said he had legally obtained three firearms — a rifle, a shotgun, and a handgun — and fired more than 116 rifle rounds and three shotgun shells before taking his own life.

Westman, who legally changed his name in 2020 and identified as a transgender woman, previously attended the Catholic school attached to the church. His mother also once worked there, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara confirmed.

At a press conference, acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Joseph Thompson said the shooter’s writings expressed "hate towards almost every group imaginable," including Mexicans, Christians, and Jews.

“The shooter's heart was full of hate,” Thompson said.

“The one group the attacker did not hate was the most notorious school shooters and mass murderers in our country's history,” he added. “The shooter idolized them. In particular, the shooter was obsessed with the idea of killing children.”

‘I also love when kids get shot’

Investigators have been combing through hundreds of pages of handwritten journals, a manifesto, and disturbing online videos uploaded by Westman just hours before the massacre. One of the most chilling entries reads:

“I also love when kids get shot, I love to see kids get torn apart.”

In a 20-minute YouTube video, Westman is seen flipping through the manifesto, parts of which were written in what appears to be the Cyrillic alphabet. He reportedly fantasised about “being that scary horrible monster standing over those powerless kids,” and confessed admiration for the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre.

“Sandy Hook was my favorite, I think, exposure of school shootings,” he wrote.

Targeting his former school

According to excerpts published by CNN from a yearbook and journal entries, Westman specifically targeted Annunciation Catholic School, which he had attended until graduating from grade school in 2017.

“I am feeling good about Annunciation. It seems like a good combo of easy attack form and devastating tragedy and I want to do more research. I have concerns about finding a large enough group. I want to avoid any parents, but pre and post school drop off,” one journal page read.

Another chilling note reportedly suggested:

“Maybe I could attack an event at the on-site church. I think attacking a large group of kids coming in from recess is my best plan... Then from there I can go inside and kill, going for as long as I can.”

Hate-fueled ideology

Westman’s writings revealed deep-seated hatred and violent intent rooted in a range of ideologies.

“If I carry out a racially motivated attack, it would be most likely against filthy Zionist jews,” he wrote in one entry, adding that Jewish people are “entitled” and “penny-sniffing” before concluding with “FREE PALESTINE!”

In another, he stated:

“I hate fascism,” followed shortly after by: “I also love when kids get shot, I love to see kids get torn apart.”

‘A truly disturbed mind’

The writings paint the picture of a disturbed and violent individual fantasising about a final, destructive act. In his manifesto, Westman expressed a desire for notoriety and hinted at broader ambitions:

“I do it because I am sick,” he wrote, while also describing a planned “grand final act” in which he would target “a target of political or societal significance” before ending his own life.

FBI Director Kash Patel said in a statement that the agency had collected evidence confirming this was “an act of domestic terrorism motivated by a hate-filled ideology.”

As of Thursday, a child remains in critical condition and an elderly victim is in serious condition at Hennepin Healthcare facilities, hospital CEO Thomas Klemond confirmed.

Police Chief O’Hara urged the public and media to stop mentioning the shooter’s name to deny him the notoriety he clearly sought.