Minneapolis Church School Shooting Claims Two Young Lives
A tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis killed two children, ages 8 and 10, and wounded 17 others during a morning Mass marking the first week of school. The gunman, identified as 23-year-old Robert “Robin” Westman, fired through church windows with multiple weapons before taking his own life.
The attack lasted approximately two minutes, with children and staff diving under pews for cover as bullets shattered stained-glass windows. Material posted online by the shooter revealed a disturbing fixation on guns, violence, and school shooters, including a manifesto expressing desires to "kill and kill and kill" and threatening President Trump. Videos he posted before the shooting showed his journal entries describing his plans for violence against children and hand-drawn diagrams of the church interior.
Robert Westman, who at the time of the shooting had just broken up with a partner, was born a male. Court records show Westman's mother had previously petitioned to have his name legally changed to reflect a transgender female identity. Westman’s mother worked at Annunciation Catholic School, which is in an upscale area of Minneapolis, for five years before retiring in 2021. Westman attended the school through 8th grade.
The two children killed in the attack have been identified by their parents as Harper Moyski (10), a "joyful" big sister, and Fletcher Merkel (8), who loved "any sport that he was allowed to play.”
Other News
💵 Trump Fires Fed Governor: President Trump removed Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, citing mortgage fraud allegations from before her appointment. Experts say there is not a clear answer yet on whether the president has the legal standing to fire a Federal Reserve official. Cook has sued the administration, and the process will play out now in court.
🥞 Cracker Barrel Logo Reversal: The restaurant chain scrapped its new branding and returned to its classic “Old Timer” logo after customer backlash and pressure from investors as well as President Trump. Stock prices rose 7% following the announcement, nearly recovering its market cap prior to the initial logo change.
📦 Trade Policy Shift: Trump eliminated the de minimis rule that allowed packages under $800 to enter the U.S. tariff-free, ending an exemption that kept costs low for online international purchases. The exemption ended in May for small shipments from mainland China and Hong Kong, and now it has closed for goods from the rest of the world.
🍃 Green Energy Rollback: The administration announced plans earlier this month to begin revoking solar and wind projects previously sponsored by the government. Since Trump took office, EPA has scrapped $1.7 billion in grants for environmental justice and frozen $20 billion in funding for clean energy and efficiency programs.
🚔 D.C. Crime Drop: D.C. Democrat Mayor Muriel Bowser praised Trump's federal law enforcement surge in Washington D.C., citing an 87% drop in carjackings and 15% overall crime reduction in the 20 days since the crackdown began. A new Associated Press poll shows the president's approval the highest it has recorded during Trump's second term, with 45% overall approval, driven largely by support for recent crime initiatives.
On the flip side, Democrat Jessica Tarlov sums up the sentiments of her party: “Let's say a Democratic president had absolutely no respect for Congress, a coequal branch, appropriating funds, tariff policy. Let's say that a Democrat was deploying the National Guard to cities controlled by Republicans. Let's say that a Democratic president was shaking down private businesses and saying give me 10% of Intel and maybe I will make things more favorable. Let's say a Democratic president said I want to control what goes in our museums, life on campuses. Republicans would be outraged.”
🍎 NYC Mayoral Race: Democratic socialist NYC mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani struggled with a 135-pound bench press at the annual Men’s Day event in Brooklyn, unable to complete a single rep without assistance in front of filming crowds. The real flex is that he could win anyway.
