Overview

• An NBC article was updated Aug. 29 with a note stating it had used the wrong pronoun for shooter Robin Westman, adding, “She used female pronouns.”
• Court records show Westman legally changed the name from Robert to Robin in 2020 after stating a female identity in the petition.
• Media translations of Westman’s writings report expressions of regret about being transgender, including messages posted online before the attack.
• The Aug. 27 shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School killed two students — Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10 — and wounded 17 others, and Westman died by a self-inflicted gunshot.
• The shooter’s gender history is driving political criticism of Minnesota’s trans-protection laws, with Rep. Tom Emmer urging repeal as state and city policies designate protections for gender-affirming care.