First lady Melania Trump called for stronger efforts to identify potential school shooters before they act, following Wednesday’s mass shooting in Minnesota by Robin Westman, who wrote “kill Donald Trump” and “Where is your God?” on the murder weapons.
“The tragic mass killing in Minnesota illuminates the need for preemptive intervention in identifying potential school shooters,” she wrote Wednesday night in a post on X. “Early warning signs are often evident, with many individuals exhibiting concerning behaviors and making violent threats online prior to their actions.
“To prevent future tragedies, it is crucial we look into behavioral threat assessments across all levels of society — beginning in our homes, extending through school districts and of course, social media platforms.
“Being aware of these warning signs and acting quickly can save lives and make American communities safer.”
Authorities are investigating the ideology and background of the 23-year-old transgender woman who went by the name Robin Westman after a judge in 2020 approved a petition, signed by Westman’s mother, asking for a name change from Robert. The petition said Westman “identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.”
Westman opened fire inside a Minneapolis Catholic school’s church during morning Mass, killing two children and wounding 17 others. The FBI is treating the case as both a domestic terrorism incident and a hate crime targeting Catholics.
Police say Westman left behind online videos and journals filled with violent threats, anti-religious messages, and political references. In one video, the shooter displayed weapons with phrases such as “kill Donald Trump” and “Where is your God?” scrawled across them, some written in Cyrillic.
Another video showed a notebook decorated with a trans pride flag alongside an image of a rifle.
Minneapolis Democrat Mayor Jacob Frey warned against vilifying the broader transgender community. Investigators continue to review the recovered writings, which included drawings of a church layout, apparent plans for the attack, and apologies to family members.
Westman’s uncle, former Kentucky state lawmaker Bob Heleringer, told The Associated Press that he barely knew his nephew but was watching coverage of Wednesday’s tragedy.
When reached by phone, after a long pause, Heleringer initially said, “I don’t know what to say.”
“I wish he had shot me instead of innocent schoolchildren,” Heleringer added.
Police said they were aware of time-released videos and writings that may have come from the shooter. On a YouTube channel titled “Robin W” there were at least two videos posted before the channel was taken down by site administrators. The videos never show the face of the person speaking.
During one video, the person filming sings the word “tomorrow” and says, “I’m sorry to my family … that’s the only people I’m sorry to.”
Also, “I regret everything. I didn’t ask for life. You didn’t ask for death.”
At one point, the person holds up a smaller firearm from the cache and says, “This one is for me. In case I need it.”
The video also shows a letter written to the person’s family, apologizing for what the shooting will mean for them, expressing love for them, and saying to change their name and “move on.”
A second, almost 20-minute-long video shows two different journals. The first is more than 150 pages, all written in what appears to be the Cyrillic alphabet. The second journal had a last entry dated 8-21-25 and was more than 60 pages and also written entirely in Cyrillic.
The second notebook had a sticker on the inside cover depicting a semiautomatic AK-style rifle on top of a trans equality pride flag. Next to it was a sticker for the band KMFDM. One of the shooters in the 1999 Columbine High School School shooting posted the band’s lyrics on his website prior to the rampage.
The German industrial band has issued statements repeatedly condemning violence and school shootings. But in several high-profile shootings since Columbine, shooters have displayed shirts, stickers, or other items referencing the band in connection with the Columbine High Schoolshooting.
During the video, the person can be heard mumbling and breathing heavily.
“I’ll probably just upload a video on the day,” the person says before flipping to what appears to be a drawing of the layout of a church, pointing to two outside windows and then stabbing the illustration with a long knife.
The first lady’s message expresses hope for addressing mental illness and stopping violence at home.
Concern for children’s safety has been a recurring theme of her public work. She also sent a letter to Russian President Vladimir Putin earlier this month, urging him to protect children in conflict zones amid the war in Ukraine.
Information from The Associated Press was used to compile this report.
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