Mother of Minnesota killer who massacred Catholic schoolchildren retains lawyer, refuses to cooperate with investigation

Authorities confirmed Thursday that Mary Grace Westman, mother of 23-year-old shooter Robin (Robert) Westman, has retained criminal defense lawyer Ryan Garry. Asked why she sought criminal counsel, Garry told Fox News, “She is completely distraught about the situation and has no culpability but is seeking an attorney to deal with calls like this.”

But investigators say Westman has so far refused to meet with them. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara noted that while dozens of relatives, friends, and witnesses have sat for interviews, “We have not been successful in talking to the shooter’s mother yet, at this time.” He added that law enforcement continues efforts to reach her.

Court filings show that in 2019, Westman filed paperwork to legally change her child’s name, writing that her child “identifies as female and wants her name to reflect the identification.” Investigators also revealed that Mary Grace Westman once worked for the Annunciation Catholic Church, where the massacre was carried out.

Police are still working to determine where the shooter was living at the time of the attack, noting three addresses tied to the suspect and parents. Officials confirmed that investigators have spoken with Westman’s father, but not the mother.

The shooter opened fire during morning Mass on Wednesday, killing two children and injuring 18 others, including 15 children. Authorities recovered a manifesto—originally scheduled to auto-publish on YouTube—containing anti-Catholic, anti-Jewish, anti-Trump, and anti-religious writings. FBI Director Kash Patel called the massacre an act of domestic terrorism motivated by a “hate-filled ideology.”

The FBI says the writings explicitly attacked Catholics, Jews, and Israel, citing lines such as “Israel must fall” and “Free Palestine” alongside Holocaust references. The writings also celebrated other mass shooters.