Man behind US church shooting kept diary in Russian
Photo: weapons of the man who carried out the US church shooting (US media)
The man who opened fire during Mass at a Catholic school in Minneapolis kept a diary in broken Russian and listened to Russian performers GONE.Fludd, Mosquit, and IC3PEAK, according to US media and the channel Astra.
In some of the diary pages published by US media, there are phrases written in broken Russian, such as "ubey sebya" ("kill yourself"), "kto ya?" ("who am I?"), "kogda eto zakonchitsya?" ("when will this end?"), "pomosh mne!" ("help me!") and "ya ne khochu" ("I don’t want to").
On the same page appears what is believed to be a self-portrait of the author with a rifle slung over his shoulder, standing in front of a mirror in which the reflection shows a horned, demon-like figure.
The shooter also frequently used Cyrillic letters to write English words, for example, "krytsmas konsert" (Christmas concert), "parents", and "parking spot."
In a video shared online, the Minneapolis school shooter is seen opening a notebook page listing his favorite music groups. The list included at least three Russian performers: rappers GONE.Fludd and Mosquit, along with the electronic duo IC3PEAK.
The same notebook appeared to contain a suicide note addressed to relatives. On a page where he seemingly wrote his years of life (2002–2025), he added: "I would not recommend any of you to read my notes unless you really want to, but I warned you."
Hours before the attack, he posted videos online showing his fascination with weapons. One rifle magazine was inscribed "for the children." Other magazines carried messages such as "Kill Trump Now," "hatred," "I am a terrorist," and "6 Million wasn’t enough," a reference to the number of Jews murdered in the Holocaust. Police are investigating the connection between the shooter and these videos.
His YouTube account, under the name Robin Westman, also displayed drawings and materials linked to the attack. One clip showed a sketch of a church, believed to be the target. Another showed a cardboard target by his bed with an image of Christ taped to the head. A separate video featured his arsenal of firearms and magazines, one of them marked "where is your God," suggesting a possible religious motive.
US media reported that the gunman was named Robin Westman, who identified as a transgender man.
Catholic school shooting
The attacker opened fire during Mass at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, held to mark the first week of the new school year.
Two children aged 8 and 10 were killed, and 17 others were injured, including 14 children between the ages of 6 and 14. Two victims remain in critical condition, while four required emergency surgery.
According to investigators, the shooter approached the church building and fired through its windows at people seated inside. He was killed by the police at the scene. Authorities are treating the shooting as a "deliberate act of violence."
US president Donald Trump ordered flags across the United States to be flown at half-staff until sunset on August 31 in honor of the victims. The tribute covers the White House, federal buildings, military bases, as well as US embassies and missions abroad.
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