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Minneapolis church shooter's mother refuses to talk to police; obtains criminal defense attorney
The mother of the shooter who opened fire on a Minneapolis Catholic church Mass on Wednesday is not cooperating with investigators as they try to determine what led to the tragic events that left two children dead and 18 others injured, including 15 children.Fox News learned the shooters mother, Mary Grace Westman, has retained criminal defense attorney Ryan Garry.When asked why the mother obtained a criminal attorney, Garry told Fox, "She is completely distraught about the situation and has no culpability but is seeking an attorney to deal with calls like this."Minneapolis Police Chief Brian OHara said dozens of interviews have been conducted with the shooters relatives, friends and associates, as well as those who witnessed the carnage unfold at Annunciation Catholic Church.GRIEVING FATHER CALLS MINNEAPOLIS SHOOTER A 'COWARD' WHO TOOK LIFE OF HIS 8-YEAR-OLD SON FLETCHER DURING MASS"I know we have not been successful in talking to the shooters mother, yet, at this time," O'Hara said during a news conference Thursday. "But there continue to be efforts made to get that done."Court documents show the shooters mother applied for her son to legally change his name, writing in 2019, "minor identifies as female and wants her name to reflect the identification."It is not clear why the shooters mother is not cooperating with investigators.When asked by a reporter on Thursday if investigators had been in touch with the shooters father, OHara initially said he could not confirm that.But the chief briefly had a side conversation with Drew Evans, the superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, who said his investigators had been in touch with the father.KAROLINE LEAVITT CALLS PSAKI'S PRAYER COMMENTS 'UTTERLY DISRESPECTFUL' AFTER MINNEAPOLIS SCHOOL SHOOTINGStill, investigators have not yet said whether the shooter, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, lived with his mother or father, noting that there are three addresses associated with the individual."I cant verify right now which residence he was staying at, immediately prior to the shooting, but thats obviously something that will come with the investigation as it continues," OHara said.The chief noted that the shooter attended Mass at the church while attending the school attached to the place of worship."The shooters mother was an employee of the parish previously, for some time," OHara said. "So, obviously there is a connection between the shooter and this particular parish."VANCE BLASTS PSAKI FOR POST DECLARING PRAYER 'IS NOT FREAKING ENOUGH' IN RESPONSE TO MINNESOTA SHOOTINGAt around 8:30 a.m., the suspect fired dozens of rounds into the church, shattering stained-glass and pew-side windows as terrified students and parishioners ducked for cover.Authorities have not yet released a motive, though they have uncovered a manifesto the shooter had timed to be released on YouTube. The video has since been taken down and is under investigation.The manifesto, police added, appeared to show Westman at the scene and included disturbing writings.FBI Director Kash Patel said Thursday the agencys investigation into the "barbaric" attack suggests the attack was an act of domestic terrorism "motivated by a hate-filled ideology."He noted that the manifesto and writings on firearms displayed anti-Catholic and anti-religious references.Specifically, the shooter expressed hatred and violence toward Jewish people and wrote things like "Israel must fall," "Free Palestine" and used explicit language related to the Holocaust, Patel said.
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