Minneapolis Church Shooter Purchased Gun Days Before Incident

The owner of a local gun shop has revealed that the shooter responsible for the tragic deaths of two children during a mass at a Catholic school acquired his firearm just four days prior to the horrific event. The shooter, identified as Robin Westman, opened fire during a school-wide mass at Annunciation Catholic Church around 8:30 AM on August 27th, targeting attendees from outside the building through a stained glass window.

Westman, at just 23 years old, ended his life by suicide after the shooting. Court records indicate that he was born under a different name, which he legally changed in 2019. Interestingly, he attended the church and school adjacent to the location of the shooting.

Cory Klaus, the owner of Frontier Man Sports near St. Louis Park, Minnesota, confirmed that Westman purchased a small .38 special revolver shortly before the incident. Klaus provided security footage showing that the purchase was made legally. Importantly, he noted that this particular revolver was not the firearm used in the church shooting.

Klaus informed Fox News that Westman entered his store on August 23rd, where he spent around 40 minutes examining various firearms and ammunition. He described Westman as engaging, knowledgeable, and friendly, often smiling and interacting cheerfully with both staff and other customers. “He seemed very normal, you know?” Klaus remarked. “There were no signs that anything was amiss.”

A video obtained from the shop portrays Westman browsing through different types of ammunition and firearms, even playfully pointing a rifle at one point. Despite the impending tragedy, Klaus expressed that there were no “red flags” in Westman’s behavior, adding, “He acted completely normal.”

Before completing the purchase of the firearm, Westman’s information was checked against the FBI’s national instant criminal history check system, which returned a positive signal, indicating that the purchase was legitimate.

Klaus pointed out that his team’s reputation with local and federal law enforcement for identifying potential threats is strong, highlighting their commitment to preventing illegal acquisitions. He concluded by stating that sharing details about the shooter was part of an effort to provide context to the tragic events that unfolded.

Fox News Digital has reached out to the Minneapolis Police Department for further comment.