Jesse Merkel, father of Fletcher Merkel, speaks during a press conference outside the church in Minneapolis. (Pictur ecredit: AP)
The families of two children killed in a mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic church have urged the community to remember them for the lives they lived, not the violence that ended them.Eight-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski died on Wednesday when 23-year-old Robin Westman, a former pupil, opened fire with a rifle through the stained-glass windows of the Annunciation Catholic School church. More than 100 rounds were fired, injuring 15 children aged six to 15, along with three elderly parishioners, according to city officials.“Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life,” his father Jesse Merkel said tearfully, recalling his son’s love for fishing, cooking and family. Speaking outside the school, he added, “Give your kids an extra hug.” As per ABC News, Merkel described Fletcher as a boy full of energy who embraced every sport he could play.Harper’s parents, Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin, said in a statement that their daughter’s memory must “fuel action” on gun violence and mental health. “Change is possible, and it is necessary, so that Harper’s story does not become yet another in a long line of tragedies,” they said. Police confirmed Westman died by suicide after the attack. Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said surveillance showed the shooter never entered the church or saw the children inside. He added that writings recovered revealed a “deranged fascination” with past mass killings.Acting US Attorney Joe Thompson was quoted as saying by news agency AP that Westman’s materials expressed “hate towards almost every group imaginable.” FBI Director Kash Patel labelled the shooting an act of domestic terrorism, citing statements urging violence against multiple religions and even for US President Donald Trump.As per NBC News, neighbours living close to the church recalled the chaos. Carla Maldonado, who heard shots from her kitchen, described feeling something ricochet off her ankle before realising a gunman was outside. Her husband Pedro reached the church before police, directing officers to the back and later frantically searching for his children. “It was a terrible moment,” he said, recalling screaming their names until his daughter found him in tears.Investigators said Westman legally bought his weapons, with no past criminal record preventing purchase. Old police records indicate past welfare checks linked to mental health, though heavily redacted.Mayor Jacob Frey condemned hatred directed at the transgender community after federal officials identified Westman as transgender. Court documents from 2020 showed a name change petition from Robert to Robin, signed by the shooter’s mother.While families grieve, residents are left struggling to explain the horror to their children. Tess Rada, whose daughter survived but lost a close friend, was cited by AP as saying that it was “impossible” to find words for an eight-year-old after such a tragedy.
