The 23-year-old assailant, Robin Westman, has left the motive behind her disturbing shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic school in suspense. As police deep dive into the incident, more details are emerging, with the latest being the discovery of a four-page handwritten letter that Westman dedicated to family and friends. The assailant scheduled videos on a YouTube channel titled “Robin W” before firing at the school that killed two children and injured 17 others. In one of the two videos uploaded to the YouTube channel, which was taken down, a person believed to be Westman showed the letter. She apologised for the action and suggested family members change their name and “move on.”
‘It pains to bring storm of chaos …’: Letter dedicated to family, friends
“I don’t expect forgiveness,” Westman starts the letter, apologising for the actions that will impact their life. “I don’t expect forgiveness, and I don’t expect any apology. I have to hold much weight. But to my family and those close to me, I do apologise for the effects my actions will have on your lives. Please know I care for all of you so much, and it pains me to bring this storm of chaos into your lives. This will affect so many more people than the ones that are immediately involved,” the assailant wrote.
‘I was corrupted by this world’
The letter further appreciated parents for raising Westman to be a good person and teaching qualities like empathy, self-sacrifice and good character. She further blamed the world for making her “hate life.”“Please do not think you have failed as parents. I was corrupted by this world and have learned to hate what life is. Life is love, life is pain,” she wrote. “I am tired of the pain this world gives out. Please move on and continue to give your love to brothers and sisters, and the rest of the world. They may not forgive you, but you need to move on from me. Forget my life and the pain I have brought,” she added.Westman also apologised to her siblings for “forever tainting the rest of your lives.”“Your careers, lives, relationships, all will be turned upside-down. Please hold on to who you are, not who I am. Change your names if you must,” she wrote in the letter.
‘This world has too much pain to deal’
Westman also dedicated the letter to her friend, saying, “Trust to give your memory of me however you see fit… Unfortunately, this world has too much pain to deal out that I can’t cover up with the good sides of life.”
Severe depression, suicidal for years
Westman, in the letter, described herself as a “sad person”, expressing that she was severely depressed and was “suicidal for years.” Westman wrote that she “wanted this for so long” and has been “haunted by those thoughts that do not go away.”She revealed that, “I am severely depressed and have been suicidal for years. Only recently have I lost all hope and decided to perform my final action against this world. I don’t want to kneel down for the injustices of this world. I want to die. I’d rather die on my feet then live on my knees, constantly in pain.”
‘I think I am dying of cancer’
In a shocking twist, Westman furhter revealed that she was destroying her life by vaping and other means and might have lung cancer. “I think I am dying of cancer.”The letter further suggested that she didn’t want to end up being a patient, “rotting in hospital bed”. “I don’t want the rest of my life to be as a cancer patient, in and out of hospitals, constantly being fretted about with people afraid to be too happy around me. F*** That! I want to go out on my own means. Unfortunately, due to my depression, anger, and twisted mind, I want to fulfill a final act that has been in the back of my head for years,” the letter added. “I just want to escape from this world. Escape from the constant bills, shitty jobs, shitty people, and injustice of America. I am done With this, I will not bow. I will be selfish and leave you to pick up the pieces. Its my fault, blame me, but please move on,” she wrote.
‘Horrible monster standing over those powerless kids’
Police chief Brian O’Hara said that hours after the incident, Westman posted a series of twists videos, including a manifesto. In a 20-minute video, Westman was seen flipping through a handwritten manifesto filled with disturbing passages. Much of it is scribbled in a crude code, blending Cyrillic letters with phonetic English.The writings revel in violent fantasies — describing the thrill of “being that scary, horrible monster standing over those powerless kids” — and even express admiration for the 2012 Sandy Hook school massacre.
