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Melania Trump urges preemptive threat assessments after shooting

Published 28 August 2025

First lady Melania Trump urged "preemptive intervention" to identify potential school shooters late Wednesday after a gunman opened fire during morning Mass at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, killing two children and wounding 17 others, officials said. The shooter, identified by police as 23-year-old Robin Westman, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene, authorities said.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said investigators were treating material the suspect posted online as central to determining motive. O'Hara said Westman had shared a manifesto on a YouTube channel that was scheduled to be published at the same time as the attack. "This manifesto appeared to show him at the scene and included some disturbing writings," O'Hara said. He added that the content had been taken down with FBI assistance and remains under active review by investigators.

In a post on X late Wednesday, the first lady wrote that the "tragic mass killing in Minnesota illuminates the need for preemptive intervention in identifying potential school shooters." She urged broader use of behavioral threat assessments, saying early warning signs often appear and urging monitoring...

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