Authorities in Minneapolis released new information regarding the motive of the recent shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church. The city’s police chief said that “ultimately the purpose of the shooter’s actions was to obtain notoriety for the shooter themselves,” as reported by Fox News. Brian O’Hara’s remarks come after he said that “no evidence ever be able to make sense” of the shooting that took place on Wednesday and left two children dead and 17 injured. The suspect shooter was identified as Robin Westman.
Also Read: Who are Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski, children killed at the Minneapolis school?
Police chief gives updates on shooter’s motive
Hara explained that based on what they have learned of the shooter so far, Westman was an “individual who, unfortunately, like so many other mass shooters” observed in the past in the US and across the world, “had some deranged fascination with previous mass shootings and very disturbing writings that demonstrate hatred towards many different individuals and different groups of people.” He added that the shooter also “fantasized” about other mass shooters’ plans.
On Thursday, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Minnesota, Joe Thompson, revealed that Westman had left behind extensive written materials related to the attack. According to Thompson, the documents detailed the shooter’s planning, his “mental state”, and, most notably, his hate, as reported by Fox News.
He continued that the shooter expressed hate towards “every group imaginable.” This included “hate towards Black people”, “Mexican people,” “Christian people,” and “Jewish people”.
Thompson added that Westman’s “heart was full of hate.” However, he shared that there was only one group he did not hate but “admired,” and it was the group of “school shooters and mass murderers that are notorious in this country.”
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Westman was focused on ‘killing children’
According to the news outlet, Thompson revealed that “more than anything,” Westman was focused on killing children. He said that “The shooter was obsessed with the idea of killing children.” He added that the shooter attacked the “most vulnerable” of the community when they were “ at their most vulnerable at school and at church.”
The two children who were killed in Wednesday’s deadly shooting were Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10.
