Minneapolis shooting survivor, 10, says his friend 'laid on top of him' to shield him from gunfire

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: A 10-year-old boy says his best buddy saved his life during a hail of bullets that ripped through a Minneapolis Catholic church early Wednesday, August 27, tragically taking the lives of two children and leaving nearly 20 others wounded.

"My friend Victor, like saved me, though, because he laid on top of me, but he got hit," Weston Halsne told NBC affiliate KARE. The little boy said he ducked under a pew as gunfire erupted inside Annunciation Catholic School’s church. Weston called his pal “brave” and said he hopes he’s “good in the hospital.”

Weston was among dozens of students attending their first Mass of the new school year when chaos struck just before 8:30 am, Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara revealed. Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed, and 17 others (including 14 children) were wounded in the carnage.

Suspect is a former student

Cops identified the shooter as 23-year-old Robin Westman, who police believe died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene.

O’Hara said Westman fired off three different weapons — a rifle, a shotgun, and a pistol. The chief noted the suspect didn’t have a “significant criminal history,” and investigators are still working on nailing down a motive.

Law enforcement sources told KARE 11 that Westman grew up in Richfield and had ties to the school. His mother worked at Annunciation Catholic School on the city’s south side until retiring in 2021.

Records show Westman himself attended the school for at least a year and had even stopped by just last week while teachers were setting up for the semester.

Chilling manifesto surfaces

Meanwhile, a video resembling a manifesto popped up on YouTube shortly after the massacre. It was posted around 9 am, about 30 minutes after the first shots rang out. Investigators are now working to confirm its authenticity.

KARE 11 translated sections of the Russian-language document, which allegedly referenced suicide, school shootings, shooters, and the Annunciation Church itself.

The footage suggests Westman spent weeks plotting the ambush, reportedly scoping out entrances and exits and watching for armed guards. A May 23 entry allegedly detailed Westman’s obsession with school shootings, tracing it back to seventh grade and even mentioning childhood conversations with friends about mass violence.

Another segment displayed a hand-drawn sketch of the church labeled in Russian as “Annunciation by memory,” along with notes from a scouting visit. Westman allegedly wrote that his next paycheck, which was due August 8, would go toward an AR-15 rifle plus 60- and 30-round magazines.

By August 20, the so-called manifesto had intensified. Westman allegedly wrote about returning to the church, noting it was teacher training week. He even mused about staff prepping for an active shooter drill. “I bet they won’t anticipate an attack in the first week," he wrote.

Westman allegedly described checking doors to figure out how to barricade them and keep victims trapped inside. O’Hara later confirmed that at least two of the doors were indeed barricaded with lumber, exactly as described.

In a final August 21 entry, Westman allegedly mentioned visiting a shooting range in preparation for the assault.

Guns bought legally, motive unclear

By Wednesday evening, Chief O’Hara confirmed all three firearms carried by Westman were legally purchased. Authorities have no reason to believe he had an accomplice.

That said, police are still trying to determine Westman's motive.