Robin Westman, the only suspect in yesterday’s mass shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, allegedly posted a number of anti-Israel and antisemitic videos shortly prior to the attack.
Two young children were killed and 17 people were injured when the shooter opened fire on a church service at a local Catholic school celebrating the beginning of a new term.
A YouTube account in Westman’s name posted a manifesto online, which was seen by the JC before it was deleted.
The same account also released clips, which were also seen by the JC before being taken down, featuring a collection of firearms and ammunition magazines daubed with slogans painted in white.
These included "Burn Israel", "six million wasn't enough" and "destroy HIAS", the latter being a reference to the Jewish refugee agency known to be the subject of white nationalist conspiracy theories.
Another of the weapons featured the name of Robert Bowers, who killed 11 people in a shooting at Pittsburgh's Tree of Life synagogue in 2018 and had also made conspiracy claims about HIAS.
And Westman, who was born Robert Westman but reportedly identified as a woman, allegedly labelled a smoke bomb found at the scene of the shooting as “Jew gas”.
Police confirmed that she was found dead at the scene, apparently having turned the gun on herself. While some of her videos included antisemitic themes, her motive for attacking a Catholic school remains unclear.
The FBI has confirmed, though, that it is investigating the possibility of the attack being an anti-Catholic hate crime.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said: “This was a deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshiping.
“The sheer cruelty and cowardice of firing into a church full of children is absolutely incomprehensible."
And Jacob Frey, the Jewish Mayor of Minneapolis, posted online:“All of our kids should be able to go to school or church or anywhere without the fear of gun violence.
“Don’t just say we need thoughts and prayers. These kids were literally in a church praying. Don’t just think of them just as someone else’s kids. Think of them as your own."
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