Mother of Minneapolis School Shooter Hires Lawyer

Minneapolis, MN – August 29, 2025 – In a surprising development following the horrific mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church, Mary Grace Westman, the mother of the identified shooter Robin Westman, has retained legal counsel and has not cooperated with police investigations, authorities confirmed Thursday. The move comes as the community reels from the attack that claimed the lives of two children and injured 17 others during a back-to-school Mass on Wednesday morning.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara revealed during a press conference that efforts to contact Mary Grace Westman have been unsuccessful. “We have not been successful in talking to the shooter’s mother,” O’Hara stated, offering no further details on the matter. Hours later, it emerged that Westman, a former administrative assistant at Annunciation Catholic School until her retirement in 2021, had sought legal representation out of what her attorney described as “an abundance of caution.”

“She is completely distraught about the situation and has no culpability but is seeking an attorney to deal with calls like this,” Attorney Ryan Garry told Fox News, addressing the media frenzy surrounding the tragedy. The decision to hire a lawyer has raised eyebrows, as Mary Grace Westman has made no public statements since her 23-year-old child, Robin Westman, was identified as the perpetrator of the attack that killed 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski.

The shooting unfolded just before 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday at Annunciation Catholic Church, where children and parishioners had gathered for a Mass celebrating the start of the school year. Robin Westman, a former student of the school, allegedly barricaded two side doors with wooden planks before firing dozens of rounds through the church’s stained-glass windows using a legally purchased rifle, shotgun, and pistol. The attacker died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said. Of the 17 injured, 14 were children aged 6 to 15, and three were elderly parishioners in their 80s. All surviving victims are expected to recover, though two children remain in critical condition.

Investigators have uncovered disturbing writings and videos left by Robin Westman, including a YouTube manifesto that was taken down shortly after the attack. The materials revealed a “deranged obsession” with previous mass shooters and expressed “pure, indiscriminate hate,” according to Acting U.S. Attorney for Minnesota Joseph Thompson. A rifle magazine inscribed with the chilling message “For the children, hahahahahahaha” was among the evidence recovered, alongside antisemitic and racist writings and threats against President Donald Trump.

Mary Grace Westman’s connection to the school, where she worked for five years, has added a layer of complexity to the investigation. Neighbors in her Minneapolis community, less than a mile from the church, expressed shock at the news. Stephen Jeglosky, a local resident, told the New York Post that the Westman family seemed like a “great family” during a graduation celebration two years ago. “My jaw dropped when I saw the news,” he said, recalling their seemingly normal interactions.

On Thursday, federal agents were seen at Mary Grace Westman’s condominium in Naples, Florida, attempting to make contact. Video footage captured plainclothes FBI agents knocking on her door, but they received no response. Deputy vehicles from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office were also spotted circling the complex, signaling heightened interest in her perspective on the tragedy. Reports also surfaced of prior police visits to the family’s Minneapolis home years earlier, though details remain sparse.

The community of Minneapolis continues to mourn, with hundreds attending a candlelit vigil at Lynnhurst Park on Wednesday night. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Senator Amy Klobuchar joined grieving parents and students, condemning the “evil and horror” of the attack. Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey called for stronger gun control measures, urging a ban on assault rifles and high-capacity magazines. “These kids were literally praying,” Frey said, emphasizing the need for action beyond “thoughts and prayers.”

As the FBI investigates the shooting as an act of domestic terrorism and a potential hate crime targeting Catholics, questions linger about Robin Westman’s motives and the role of their family dynamics. Mary Grace Westman’s refusal to speak with authorities and her decision to seek legal counsel have only deepened the mystery surrounding this devastating event.

17GEN4.com

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