Classmates say Minnesota school shooter gave Nazi salutes and idolized school shootings back in middle school

A former classmate of Minneapolis school shooter Robin Westman said the assailant idolized Adolf Hitler and obsessed over other mass killings even as far back as middle school.

Josefina Sanchez, who attended St. Agnes Catholic School with Westman in sixth and seventh grades, said there were “definitely red flags” with the shooter’s behavior.

Westman opened fire on the church next to Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis Wednesday, killing two young children, and wounding 15 more as well as three elderly parishioners.

Speaking to KARE 11, Sanchez said Westman would be verbally abusive to other students in their middle school classes and perform Nazi salutes when teachers had their backs turned.

“[Westman] would put up his hand and say, like, ‘praise Hitler,’” Sanchez said. “[Westman] would salute to Hitler and definitely do it when the teachers weren’t watching, when nobody was really watching.”

Sanchez added that “something I knew was off,” but as a child she had not known what to do. “When you see something erratic, it doesn’t leave your mind,” she added.

Following the deadly shooting Wednesday, a social media account linked to Westman revealed a video, which showed a journal and writings that authorities have referred to as a “manifesto.”

The writings referenced violent fantasies that dated back to middle school – when Westman and Sanchez were classmates.

On May 23 2025, Westman wrote an entry recalling a long-time obsession with mass shootings, specifically school shootings, which dated back to the seventh grade. These remarks had scared other children and were reported to adults.

The next day, in another entry, Westman wrote about a love of weapons and guns, as well as a concern that their YouTube history would be flagged by law enforcement.

In the now taken down video, Westman showed off a large arsenal of weapons including assault rifles, handguns and multiple ammunition clips. Authorities later said that during the shooting, the assailant fired off 116 rounds.

Sanchez told KARE 11 that the killer’s manifesto was “triggering” and also reminded her of how Westman used to write in secret codes during their time at school together.