‘Wish I Never Brain-Washed Myself’: Minnesota School Shooter Said He Was ‘Tired Of Being Trans’

The trans-identifying shooter who killed two children and wounded more than a dozen others at a Catholic school in Minneapolis on Wednesday wrote in a journal entry that he was “tired of being trans” and regretted that he “brain-washed” himself.

A journal reportedly belonging to Robin Westman, 23, who was born Robert Westman, revealed some of the dark thoughts of the gunman who opened fire on students and staff while they were attending morning Mass at Annunciation Catholic School. The journal, which was written in a mix of Russian Cyrillic script and English, indicated that Westman held regrets about identifying as transgender, The New York Post reported.

“I only keep [long hair] because it is pretty much my last shred of being trans. I am tired of being trans, I wish I never brain-washed myself,” Westman reportedly wrote.

“I can’t cut my hair now as it would be [an] embarrassing defeat, and it might be a concerning change of character that could get me reported,” he added. “It just always gets in my way. I will probably chop it on the day of the attack.”

In another section of his journal, Westman reportedly wrote, “I don’t want to dress girly all the time but I guess sometimes I really like it. I know I am not a woman but I definitely don’t feel like a man.”

In 2020, Westman officially changed his name to Robin because he “identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.” At the time, Westman was still a minor, so his mother had to sign the application to change his name, according to a government document shared by Washington Free Beacon Editor Peter J. Hasson. It’s unclear if Westman took any hormone treatments or underwent any surgeries to align with his trans identity.

Westman’s mother, Mary Grace Westman, worked as a secretary at Annunciation for five years before retiring in 2021, according to the Post. Westman graduated from Annunciation, which serves students from kindergarten through 8th grade, in 2017.

In videos posted hours before the shooting by an account tied to Westman, political and religious messages are seen written on weapons. The messages included “Kill Donald Trump” and “Where’s your God?”

Westman is the second trans-identifying shooter to target a Christian school in the past two years. In March of 2023, a female who identified as a man opened fire at The Covenant School in Nashville, killing three children and three adults.