The former Kentucky politician and uncle of Minneapolis shooter Robin Westman has expressed a wish that his nephew had targeted him instead of the innocent students killed in a recent incident.
Bob Herlinger, who once represented Kentucky’s 33rd District and identified as a Republican, said he “barely knew” 23-year-old Westman, who opened fire at the Annunciation Church and Catholic School earlier this week.
“He was my nephew, and I would have preferred if he had shot me rather than an innocent child,” Herlinger told the Associated Press. He noted that Westman’s family lived in Minnesota, not in Louisville, where he resides.
Herlinger, 74, was a member of the state legislature from 1979 until 2002 and has publicly criticized legislation targeting the rights of LGBTQ minors. In a recent commentary, he called out the GOP for its stance on these issues.
His comments came after the shooting incident that left two children dead and several others injured during a return-to-school mass.
Westman, who identified as a transgender woman, was a former student at a school where his mother worked as a secretary until 2021. He had previously written a poem reflecting on death during his time at St. Thomas Academy, hinting at feelings of regret about how he would be remembered.
The private school, which emphasizes military leadership training, is located about ten miles from the site of the shooting. After the attacks, Westman was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The motivations behind his actions are still unclear.
The latest on the Minneapolis Catholic Schools shooting
Authorities report that 14 other students and three adults injured in the incident are expected to survive. Westman had an interest in music, noting the group Daft Punk in a yearbook from 2017.
After changing his name to Robin in 2020, he had previously attended Southwest High School in Minneapolis, graduating in 2021.
In a disturbing video, Westman had included messages expressing violent sentiments, including remarks against political figures and references to historical atrocities.
Witnesses described the chaotic scene, where Westman reportedly fired from outside the church through a stained glass window.
