Videos linked to Minneapolis shooting suspect show antisemitic, anti-Israel messages

The suspect in Wednesday’s mass shooting at a Catholic school in Minneapolis, Minnesota, posted videos that included antisemitic and anti-Israel messages, according to the Anti-Defamation League.

Authorities have identified the suspect, who died by suicide at the scene, as Robin Westman, 23.

Two children, aged 8 and 10, were killed and 17 others were wounded when the attacker opened fire on students attending Mass at the Catholic school, authorities said.

The assailant fired dozens of rounds through the church windows at students sitting in church pews and then died by suicide, officials said.

Shortly before the attack, the suspected shooter uploaded two videos to YouTube that have been removed, the ADL’s Center on Extremism said.

The videos believed to be from Westman show firearms and ammunition magazines marked with messages written in white.

Writings on the weapons in the videos said “Burn Israel,” and “Destroy HIAS,” referring to a Jewish refugee agency that white supremacists have used as evidence of the Great Replacement Theory, which falsely claims that Jews are attempting to bring non-white people into the US to supplant the white population.

On the handle of one firearm was the name “Robert Bowers,” a white supremacist who murdered 11 people at the Tree of Life synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, in 2018. Bowers had ranted against HIAS online ahead of the shooting.

On another weapon, the alleged shooter wrote, “6 million wasn’t enough,” an apparent reference to the Holocaust.

An object that appeared to be a smoke grenade had the words “Jew Gas.”

The shooter did not appear to have a clear motive or ideological alignment, the ADL said. It appeared the suspect instead had a fascination with mass violence. Other markings on the weapons referred to other mass shooters and generic expressions of hatred and violence, such as the statements, “Suck on this,” “Psycho killer,” and, “There is no message.”

The videos also had anti-Christian messages and racist terms for Hispanic and Black people, and the message “Kill Donald Trump.”

The writings suggested the shooter partook in online spaces that celebrate mass shooters, the ADL analysis said.

The videos also included images of a notebook with writing in the Cyrillic alphabet. The pages included the slogan “Free Palestine” and antisemitic diatribes.

“If I will carry out a racially motivated attack, it would be most likely against filthy Zionist jews,” the notebook said, according to a translation by The New York Post.

FBI Director Kash Patel said the shooting is being investigated as an act of domestic terrorism and a hate crime targeting Catholics.

Court records show Westman’s name was changed from Robert Westman in 2020 on the grounds that they identified as female.

Officials said the shooter did not have an extensive criminal history and noted they are trying to identify a motive.

Public records showed Westman’s mother, Mary Westman, had worked as an administrative assistant at Annunciation Church, where the shooting took place.

Agencies contributed to this report.