‘Tired of being trans’: Robin Westman’s chilling journal entry before Minnesota shooting

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: Minneapolis school shooter Robin Westman, 23, posted a video and journal entries online shortly before a tragic school shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School. In these materials, Westman shared personal reflections, expressing emotional struggles and internal conflict related to identity.

Westman carried out the mass shooting at the school on Wednesday, August 27, resulting in the deaths of two children and injuries to 18 others, before taking their own life. The attack shocked the community and reignited discussions around mental health, school safety, and the role of online content in signaling warning signs before violence.

Minneapolis school shooter handwritten journal released

Transgender mass shooter Robin Westman shared a handwritten journal on YouTube prior to the attack. The journal was partially encrypted using a mix of Russian Cyrillic script and English.

In the entries, Westman expressed dissatisfaction with his personal appearance and identity, particularly regarding his long hair and past decisions about transitioning.

“I only keep [the long hair] because it is pretty much my last shred of being trans. I am tired of being trans, I wish I never brain-washed myself,” the shooter wrote.

Robin added, “I can’t cut my hair now as it would be an embarrassing defeat, and it might be a concerning change of character that could get me reported. It just always gets in my way. I will probably chop it on the day of the attack.”

Westman also reflected on deeper feelings of regret and frustration, writing: “I regret being trans... I wish I was a girl. I just know I cannot achieve that body with the technology we have today. I also can’t afford that.”

Elsewhere in the journal, Westman expressed strong feelings of self-doubt and dissatisfaction with appearance, saying, “I like feeling sexy and cute but my face never matches how I feel. I hate my face… maybe that’s why I like furries so much. You can give yourself a new body and face. I want to be that black face mask on Beyonce’s body lmao!”

Minneapolis school shooter court documents reveal identity concerns

Court documents obtained by the New York Post revealed that the Minneapolis school shooter applied to legally change their name from Robert to Robin at age 17 in Dakota County, Minnesota.

A judge approved the name change in January 2020. In the petition, Westman stated they identified as female and wanted their name to reflect that identity.

However, five years later, Westman appeared to distance themselves from that identity. In one notebook entry, Robin wrote, “I don’t want to dress girly all the time but I guess sometimes I really like it. I know I am not a woman but I definitely don’t feel like a man.”

The journal also contained disturbing content, including violent fantasies. The shooter described a desire to be a “scary horrible monster standing over those powerless kids,” and referenced the Sandy Hook shooting, where 20 children were killed, in a way that appeared to glorify the attack.

Just hours before the shooting, Westman uploaded videos displaying gun magazines marked with phrases like “kill Donald Trump” and “for the children.”

The slain shooter’s notebook further revealed that they had specifically chosen Annunciation Catholic Church and School as the target, the same school Robin graduated from in 2017.

Robin’s mother, Mary Grace Westman, worked as a secretary at the school for five years before retiring in 2021.

Internet sparks debate over Robin Westman's journal

After Robin Westman’s journal surfaced, revealing emotional struggles related to identity, many internet users quickly reacted and shared their opinions online.

One user commented, "This country has a severe national mental health crisis. If nothing is done about this devastating crisis affecting millions, the malicious violence and uncivil political infighting are going to continue, sadly. This is a very unfortunate and senseless tragedy.”

Another wrote, “This is what happens when we don’t treat mental illness, rather call it something else and celebrate it.”

An individual questioned, “What is the role of the medical professionals in all of this? This warrants an investigation.”

Another user alleged, “Violent crimes per capita by trans-identifying individuals is ~10 times higher than the overall population! Large doses of artificially administered hormones are driving them to extreme violence and murder. These extreme hormone treatments should be withdrawn by the FDA."

One person blamed, “At 17 the mother signed paperwork for a Robin change. The mom helped the horror.”

Another echoed, “IMO... the parents are at least partially responsible for creating this monster.”

One more commenter quipped, “This is why you don’t let children make decisions. Empowering children is a terrible idea."

This article contains remarks made on the internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.