"top 5 in the state" and the state is new jersey
investigative reporter / OSINTer (english-language editor @crimew.gay, contributor @geoconfirmed.org @virtualstreets.org etc.) ey/they/it/any give me tips/contact me on signal: rhinozz.1337 my previous work: https://muckrack.com/ryan-fae/portfolio/list
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"top 5 in the state" and the state is new jersey
a good-to-note for those observing media internationally. horrific case, and fantastic reporting by ABC's Media Watch
I wrote about @iceblock.app, the developer's infuriating HOPE talk, and how it's unfortunately basically activism theater micahflee.com/unfortunatel...
having a pretty bad flareup rn as well so ive been needing more food than usual and havent managed to leave the house much
in the field we call this "forcing a beat" (h/t @gup.city)
essential, essential reporting on Israel's targeting of journalists and rescue workers. phenomenally researched and presented, @aric.bsky.social @ckoettl.bsky.social @sanjanamv.bsky.social!
"he's kinda serving republican cutie realness" - @crimew.gay
bsky.app/profile/did:...
correction (h/t @emma.best @crimew.gay): hundreds of gigabytes. don't know why i recalled the data being so large in size. probably because there are upward of 115,000 actual files in the dataset, and many are document scans?
i mean, the pool today wrote about Trump playing music and said that "he has policy meetings and a media interview on his schedule today." he's active on truth social. don't think anything is crazy unusual lol
i'd post my signal but it's 10:35 PM rn and i'm sleepy as hell rn lowkey
and hey! want help going through these *terabytes* of data? we'd be happy to help, and happy to provide a queer perspective from the byline (which is especially relevant to the dataset). text me on signal (rhinozz.1337) or email me (ryan AT staticnoi DOT se)
ryan, i and @thefreeradical.org were working on getting through this release years ago, but its massive, hard to search and very taxing with how horrid the contents are and we just didnt have enough eyes or hands to get through it.
fantastic reporting Jerod!
The ICE Facility in Phoenix you probably didn’t know existed azmirror.com/2025/08/29/t...
@crimew.gay and I first looked at it upon its initial dump those years ago, when it was sent to us. @thefreeradical.org helped in our initial scouting. but the dataset includes terabytes of documents, many very personal and most extremely taxing, and we've failed to find funding to look into it all
this new @ddosecrets.com release is actually an year-or-two-old SiegedSec dump that never got released (AFAIK). it is a trove of very, very painful and uber-important data. glad to see it getting a release! ddosecrets.com/article/teen...
ah! you'd be right, thanks
those quotes were in the New York Post's translation (which, despite being a rag, were accurate if not a little misleadingly presented)! mind the transphobia: nypost.com/2025/08/28/u...
Years of lobbying, campaign contributions and White House ties are positioning some companies to make billions of dollars by flying immigrant detainees out of the US. Here's a look behind the booming business. on.ft.com/4mVHxTL
and, like, is the distinction needed? it's all a hand wave. a shooter killed 2 and injured 17 others. what pushed them to that was an obsession with mass shootings and an adoption of shooters' ideologies, which led to an alt-right spiral. that is to say: it has nothing to do with identity.
I mean, at the end of the day, their identity is unclear — even to Westman, per the above post. that's what makes the idea of calling them detrans a little nauseating to me. as far as I can tell (and I could be wrong!) they majorly grappled over identity and appearance in their last months alive.
where? what page?
to be frank, holzman has (1) not looked at this herself and (2) appears not to have any full translations because, as far as I know, there are no full translations. I take her post with a grain of salt, esp. because: bsky.app/profile/ryan...
following up my coverage yesterday: there is a growing narrative that Robin Westman was detrans. from what I can see, this is plainly untrue. dysphoria plagues their journal entries in ways that are, frankly, a little painful to read. see the 06.28.2025 entry, for instance (see alt text):
looking into this! thanks for the bump
being transphobic about a subject of a story in the thread of a trans journalist is a liiiittttle wild
Just another day’s work for Katter www.smh.com.au/politics/bob...
and while I can't say I've ever seen a progressive-to-alt-right falling this far, it's (unfortunately) what I see to be the truth: this is someone who fell down into the wrong circles, whatever those might have been. we are left with a confusing, disheveled, troll-y political theory to boot.
oh, and to answer a common question: no, Westman did not know past cursory ("terrible") Russian. it says so on page four.
that's all I have. goodnight, and my condolences to the victims, their families, and their community.
and while I can't say I've ever seen a progressive-to-alt-right falling this far, it's (unfortunately) what I see to be the truth: this is someone who fell down into the wrong circles, whatever those might have been. we are left with a confusing, disheveled, troll-y political theory to boot.
it paints a picture of someone who is mentally ill and developed an obsession with school shootings, then fell down the radicalization pipeline. it describes taking after Adam Lanza in particular (thus Lanza's username on one of the guns, as I noted earlier). once again, regrettably: unoriginal.
I'm aware of news agencies looking into this, and perhaps they published as I was making this thread (not sure!) but the overwhelming consensus among everyone I've talked to who has even glanced at this journal is that it's wholly uninteresting: this shooting is, unfortunately, unoriginal.
at first, identifying trends here led me to attempt to create a dictionary. but it is much, much faster to just read (if you know Cyrillic) and figure out those few words that didn't click the first time. that being said: this is the only page I will transcribe, at least for now.
page one: (linguistic trends: Russian in title, occasional use of Russian words like Я, с, этот, odd accent-imitating words like висоут for "without") (also: my saying before that they use з for /e/ and /z/ was wrong. they just write э exactly like з. oops!)
![05.23.2025 [Russian:] ПРОЯВЛеНИе МЫСЛеЙ [](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:lb5rzms2ky5fmp6clthjwuvx/bafkreiempdxy63mwrclh56z6jweoe4czvleuy4f3vo6kdb4mbw2orxrxae@jpeg "Click to view full size")
(correction, sorry: missing a "а" between "старт" and "гус," and "фор" between "чаис" and "тhi")
bsky.app/profile/ryan...
an example deciphering from that page: > тhиз паиjeз тhат хав бiн римовд weр онрилатiд то тhЫс jурнал. плиз донт старт гус чаис тhi мЫсЫнг "Вастман паиjeз" ЛОЛ > these pages that have been removed were unrelated to this journal. please don't start a goose chase for the missing "Westman pages" LOL
now the back of the cover: for those following along, this is the beginning of their faux-Cyrillic approximation of English. it has some quirks: H in diphthongs + J always is in Latin script, З is used for /z/ and /e/, a mysterious hook character is used for /ɪ/, and so on.
![[multiple images of Luigi from the Mario franchise scattered about] [in the middle: a Mario mushroom-shaped sticker with the text](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:lb5rzms2ky5fmp6clthjwuvx/bafkreihuupwfg4mvn5zlhzxzszqj56f5nglhinktwm5sxyohvyx7no6ufi@jpeg "Click to view full size")
now it's the time we've all been waiting for: the transcription of the journals! (yay! I'm doing this 95% by hand. bear with me, please.) the first journal once again spans the dates May 23, 2025 to July 19, 2025. alt text will be where transcriptions occur once again. we'll start with its cover.
![Улучшить своно кизнь! [Russian: Improve your life!] Part one ЯNB [stylized 'RnB'] WAY OУT [stylized 'WAY OUT'] RYTHM BROWNIE SCOUT [a strain of cannabis] УМУ [tag? perhaps Russian: 'mind' in the dative singular?] ЖНаВИКТь ['zhnavikt.' tag?] АВВСУ [or ABBCY or ABBEY? tag?] [a sticker of a unicorn]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:lb5rzms2ky5fmp6clthjwuvx/bafkreiaavn5lxp2acprtmlo4wylnbkga6oop2soxl6jkjvwrsb57pjsy7a@jpeg "Click to view full size")
my friend and colleague @crimew.gay took a look at the ideological substance of this video, if you'd like a slightly deeper look: bsky.app/profile/crim...
there is little to make sense of politically, but for someone who is Queer, the knowledge — and apparent adherence to — the beliefs of neo-Nazi mass shooters is startling. some information in the text is hyper-niche; others are clear alt-right dogwhistles. it's disturbing, ironic or not.
one message orders the release of the 'Epstein list.' another says "kill pedos." a third says "kill Trump now!" other messages show opposition to Israel (probably antisemitic, with a gas canister saying "Jew gas" on it). in short: it's all over the place. (the second three minutes are attached.)
memes are referenced throughout. one magazine says "666+79419" on it, which when added equals 80085, spelling the word 'BOOBS.' the bottom of one rifle includes the text "UwU :3." a line representation of the Loss meme is on multiple rifles. (the first three minutes of their showcase is attached.)
multiple slurs are used, applying to racial, ethnic, and identity-based groups. there are multiple references to other terrorists (including Anders Breivik, Robert Bowers, and 'Kaynbred,' the username of Adam Lanza) and their verbiage (including "more than ten," which appears to be a 'kill goal').
they have a large amount of writings on magazines, guns, and clothing that show that political variance. they show familiarity with the actions of the FBI ("Waco," "Vicki Weaver") and FSB (including a patch on their clothing), Queer in-jokes, and alt-right politics.
their verbalizations are similarly 'shitposty.' as they show more munitions (identifications, please!), they say: "I'm sorry... to my family. Um, but that's it. That's the only people that I'm sorry to. Fuck those kids." they flip off the camera, then walk down a hallway, singing the word "skibidi."
at one point, they show this plank (see alt text). at another point, they show a shooting target with an illustration of Jesus at the top.
imagery is all over the place politically. at one point, as they discuss firearms YouTuber "Vintage Warfare" and explain how they promote "love and peace and, uh, accepting differences," they make an 'OK' gesture, which may be a nod to the 'white power' usage of the symbol.
the video repeatedly appears to be 'shitposty.' verbalizations are often incoherent; a drink is loudly slurped; they claim the video is sponsored by "BlackRock," "ExxonMobil," "Pabst Blue Ribbon," and "Brandon Herrera," the firearms YouTuber, who they support as a presidential candidate; and so on.
as they flip through the manifesto, they speak out loud: "Um, here's my, umm, note to my family and shit. D'uh... wow, some— some English writing, wow. Hope you can read that! Hahaha, haha. Yeah. D'um... peace, love, unity, and guns." they then drop a large number of bullets. (identifications?)
on their bed is a revolver. gun folks: model identification would be nice! (full frame included for as much of a size reference as I have.)
besides the manifesto: the video begins with a sketch of Walter White from Breaking Bad. a cube and number 5 are etched onto his hat. Westman groans and laughs as they show the sketch. the original sketch (which I've attached a variation of in the second image) does not include the cube.
page four, the final page of the Latin-script manifesto. it includes a warning: "I wouldn't recommend any of you to read my journals, unless you REALLY want to, but be warned." it's unclear whether the warning is addressed toward their loved ones or the general public.
![I love you all, I will remember you. Pray for the victims and their families. I Love You [heart] Dad, Mom, Jack, Martha, Theresa, Joe, Jared, Phil, Liam — Robin M Westman 2002-2025 [signature:](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:lb5rzms2ky5fmp6clthjwuvx/bafkreibolepr2n73qbken3rnepj2gxkijzw27jxlr2cmyg32slb6bxvgk4@jpeg "Click to view full size")
page three, which gives a further motive: Westman believed they were dying of "lung cancer" due to "vaping and other means." their understanding of cancer and its symptoms appears shallow and paranoid.
page two, which explains that Westman was "severely depressed" and had "been suicidal for years" but "[o]nly recently [...] lost all hope." the shooting is what they consider "their final action."
![[...] I love you all and truly appreciate the time I have spent with you. I have such an amazing family and it hurts me to throw this wrench into the works of you good people. I feel hope when with you, I cherish our time together. I appreciate all that you have taught me and I felt inspired to be like you when I grew up. I hope you are able to move on and continue your lives without being forever followed, forever haunted by my actions. Forget me and all that I am. Hold onto yourselves and your loved ones. I love you all. And to my friends, I trust you all to give your memory of me however you see fit. I am sorry for the confusion and heartbreak this will bring. I truly appreciate all of you for showing me a good life and helping me through dark times. I have had so many good times that gave me hope, unfortunately this world has too much pain to deal out that I can't cover up with the good sides of life. I hope you all can move on and forget the pain I've caused. I have wanted this for so long. I am not well. I am not right. I am a sad person, haunted by these thoughts that do not go away. I know this is wrong but I can't seem to stop myself. I am severely depressed and have been suicidal for years. Only recently have I lost all hope and decided to perform my final action against this world. I don't want to kneel down for the injustices of this world. I want to die. I'd rather die on my feet than live on my knees, constantly in pain.](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:lb5rzms2ky5fmp6clthjwuvx/bafkreidfjfin2qr4m6yvefkmfsmfyrfndrlkcm2whmpaa6dtok32fciqbm@jpeg "Click to view full size")
the third video is of most immediate interest. the manifesto is shown on pages that appear to be torn out of the second journal. I'm transcribing it page-by-page in alt text. please be aware that its contents are sensitive.
![To My Family and Friends: I don't expect forgiveness and I don't expect any apology I have to hold much weight, but to my family and those close to me, I do apologize for the effects my actions will have on your lives. Please know I care for all of you so much and it pains me to bring this storm of chaos into your lives. This will affect so many more people than the ones that are immediately involved. To my Mother and Father: I am sorry I didn't turn out as you had hoped. You did not fail me, you gave me so much. I truly appreciate the love you have given me, I feel I was raised to be a good person. I've kept those traits of empathy, self-sacrifice, and good character. Please do not think you have failed as parents. I was corrupted by this world and have learned to hate what life is. Life is love, life is pain. There is too much to accept, too many things to put up with just to live. I'm tired of the pain this world gives out. Please move on and continue to give your love to my brothers and sisters, and the rest of the world. They may not forgive you but you need to move on from me. Forget my life and the pain I've brought. I love you both. Thank you for everything. I'm sorry. To my Siblings, I am sorry for forever tainting the rest of your lives. Your careers, lives, and relationships, all will be turned upside-down. Please hold on to who you are, not who I am. Change your names if you must. I wish I could tell you that before I go. Please know that [...]](https://cdn.bsky.app/img/feed_thumbnail/plain/did:plc:lb5rzms2ky5fmp6clthjwuvx/bafkreibyx2ldaqrr2i6kmby2gwhlrrqxzncffppnjit2cf5sxqxgi66s7a@jpeg "Click to view full size")
the shortest video, the 2-minute "08.27.2025 RMW," shows the second journal again, but the entries continue until today, August 27. the third 11-minute video "Robin Westman ehehe" shows a Latin-script manifesto, plus an assortment of munitions.
the longest video, the 20-minute "Robin Westman," shows two journals, both with entries written in Cyrillic script approximating English. (as I transcribe, I'll be verifying this.) the first journal spans the dates May 23 to July 19, and the second spans the dates July 19 to August 21, 2025.
the videos' names and relative times are archived on the Wayback Machine: web.archive.org/web/20250718... web.archive.org/web/20250827... now: what do they show?
because of this timeline, I (and an increasing amount of non-tabloid media sources) consider the video to very likely be legitimate. the three videos are entitled "Robin Westman ehehe," "Robin Westman," and "08.27.2025 RMW." they appear to be intended to come up from a YouTube search.
three videos were posted to a YouTube channel with the username "robinw1312" and display name "Robin W" 2 hours prior to that first divulgence. an archive of the channel on the 18th (web.archive.org/web/20250718...) shows that the name and username were not changed.
first, to establish a timeline: at 13:27 UTC, Jeff Day of the Star Tribune hears shooting and calls 911, per a Tribune report. Westman's identity is first divulged to the media, as far as I can tell, around 16:30 UTC.
I believe it is of journalistic and public interest to analyze the contents of the probable manifesto of Robin M Westman, the Annunciation Catholic School shooter. this is a live-thread as I work! 🧵
didn't think i'd spend this afternoon transcribing a manifesto written in cyrillic script but here i am
Inside Jeffrey Epstein's Spy Industry Connections reason.com/2025/08/27/i... Leaked emails show Epstein’s attempts to dabble in security tech—across borders—in the last years of his life.
SCOOP: A Dark Money Group Is Secretly Funding High-Profile Democratic Influencers, raising questions about ethics in the independent media space
Cannot emphasize enough what's going on here the Republicans just lost an election by eleven points in a district in fucking western Iowa that Trump won by 11. People fucking HATE the Republicans. Fascism is HIDEOUSLY unpopular even in places that used to be its base Moreover, ICE must be destroyed
sometimes i pop up on maia's stream :) if u catch it say hi!!
thank you maia 😀
just saw the Al Ghad footage of Israel's second strike on Nasser Hospital early this morning. a targeted attack on medics and journalists, and a crime against humanity — horrific, horrific, horrific
have a northern Icelandic puffin! not a pet but a pretty bird nonetheless :P
somewhat painful piece in @reuters.com this morning, in which the failures of endless counseling waitlists pushed an entrepreneur to 'AI therapy.' also: is the ethical verdict out on quoting chatbots for stories? there's even an audio excerpt! www.reuters.com/lifestyle/it...
e-dash: ﹘ en-dash: – em-dash: — emm-dash: ⸺ emmm-dash: ⸻
A freelance photographer was struck in the leg and face by crowd-control munitions — suffering a hematoma in his left eye and requiring stitches in his left temple — while covering an anti-deportation protest in Compton, California, on June 7.
excited!
just stop talking, actually
heartbreaking and essential reporting. phenomenal work, @chrisbing.bsky.social
great things happening in @crimew.gay's discord
an all-time headline
NEW: Earlier this month, two hackers published their findings in Phrack magazine after earlier breaking into the computer of a North Korean government hacker. Now, in speaking with @lorenzofb.bsky.social, the two hackers explain why they went public — even though their breach was probably illegal.
need desperately
i was too drowsy to make any conclusions tbh LOL
as first reported by @hadasgold.bsky.social on Twitter: Ari Shapiro is leaving NPR. end of an era.
it's edited now :P fun piece btw!
TikTok Shop Sells Viral GPS Trackers Marketed to Stalkers 🔗 www.404media.co/tiktok-shop-...
im free from bluesky prison now that im back - my friend Soad in Gaza is in trouble. her son Omar, whose only 3 and has Hepatitis C, is currently starving - he's at a level of starvation where too much food is hurting him. She needs $535 for vitamins & special food that can sustain him donate ASAP
@wikipedia editors: WP:COI @everyone else: the Kyiv Post flaunts awards it got pre-2021, after which its staff left for the @kyivindependent.com, which is the actually reputable publication you wouldn't know that info unless you read down because an innocuous Kyiv IP removed it from the intro graf
sometimes you look at a publication's Wikipedia article and it's written oddly like marketing and then you look at the edit history and a user with the same name as the publication's "Head of Digital" has contributed large portions looking at you, @kyivpost.com. conflict of interest much?
fantastic reporting David!
SCOOP The White House said EJ Antoni—Trump's pick to lead the Bureau of Labor Statistics—went to the Capitol on Jan 6th after seeing it on the news But a now-deleted Twitter account bearing his name shows someone deeply enmeshed in far-right election conspiracies www.wired.com/story/twitte...
for clarity, Mira provided the following statement: "the guy was using slurs against Black folk, Latine folk, and Asian folk. no slurs were targeted at me, but they were very explicitly racial slurs, just masked from filters via using emojis."
Mira tells me: "i have no clue." she's asked Bluesky but hasn't received a response.
she added: "i'll happily be banned if it means telling nazis they deserve the fate that they want to inflict upon billions of innocent people."
my friend Mira Lazine (@thefreeradical.org) has just been suspended for 24 hours for apparently violating Bluesky's rules against "violent or threatening speech." "i got it because someone replied to me by saying slurs and so i immediately was just like 'no, kys,'" she tells me.
ur so fine! +1 to keegan, but i should also note that if your info *is* in these stealer logs, then you have more to worry about than just paypal (you'd be fully compromised)
honestly? police blotters aren't news. what makes them any different from random people selling unverified data on a forum? is this really news? the hackread effect strikes again
if this isn't from infostealer logs i'll eat my shoe. "plaintext pairs" lmao
