Citing law enforcement concerns, a Dakota County judge sealed court records relating to Annunciation Church shooter Robin Westman’s name change as well as those relating to the 23-year-old’s parents’ divorce. The ruling was issued two days after Westman fired more than 100 rounds into the south Minneapolis church, killing two children and injuring 21 others.
The Aug. 29 order came after court officials received a letter from law enforcement “detailing public safety concerns for the family of an alleged shooter in a mass shooting,” according to the three-page filing signed by Chief Judge Christopher J. Lehmann. The court also sealed as confidential the records tied to the shooter’s 2020 name change to Robin Westman. The change was sought by the shooter’s mother, Mary Westman, because “her child identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.”
The sealing means that further details about the shooter’s life leading up to the high-profile spree of gun violence that devastated the state on Aug. 27 is no longer publicly viewable. It’s unclear which law enforcement agency requested the seal.
Lehmann wrote in the order that the divorce records contain identifying information that, if they remained public, could “catastrophically affect the health, welfare and safety of the persons” involved. Lehmann said the information could be used to harass, threaten, stalk and harm, adding that the need to seal the records outweighed the public’s need to access the filings.
“The tragic events from Aug. 27, 2025 make this an extremely heightened situation in the public view. However, personal identifying information of, in particular, the alleged shooter’s parents, is minimally important information when weighed against the possible threat to the people named herein and when there are far more substantive avenues for obtaining information relevant to this tragic incident,” the order said.
The divorce records, previously obtained by the Minnesota Star Tribune, show Mary and James Westman separated in July 2011 and divorced later that year after 25 years of marriage. The divorce was finalized in 2013.
The order came as the Minnesota community tries to gain any understanding into what drove Westman to the attack, which claimed the lives of 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski. Eighteen children and three adults were also injured before Westman died by suicide outside the church.
Mark Anfinson, a longtime media attorney, called the sealing of the divorce records unusual and questioned why only portions of the records couldn’t be redacted instead of a total restriction. But while unusual, he added, the order will likely stick because of the intense focus and tragic nature of the event.
