Minneapolis school shooting: Victims identified as police say gunman ‘obsessed with killing children’

The two children killed in Wednesday’s tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis have been identified by their families as 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski.

Speaking outside the school on Thursday, Fletcher’s father, Jesse Merkel, expressed his grief.

“Yesterday a coward decided to take our 8-year-old son Fletcher away from us. Because of their actions we will never be allowed to hold him, talk to him, play with him, and watch him grow into the wonderful young man he was on the path to becoming,” Mr Merkel said.

He described his son as a boy who loved “his family, friends, fishing, cooking and sports.”

“While the hole in our hearts and lives will never be filled, I hope that in time, our family can find healing,” he added.

Family spokesperson Blois Olson said Fletcher was the second youngest of four siblings. He and two of his older siblings were attending Mass when the shooting began. His siblings in attendance were not harmed.

Also on Thursday, Harper Moyski’s parents, Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin, released a statement remembering their daughter.

“We are devastated to share that our beloved daughter, Harper Moyski, was tragically killed in the recent school shooting. Harper was a bright, joyful, and deeply loved 10-year-old whose laughter, kindness, and spirit touched everyone who knew her,” they said.

“Our hearts are broken not only as parents, but also for Harper’s sister, who adored her big sister and is grieving an unimaginable loss. As a family, we are shattered, and words cannot capture the depth of our pain,” the statement said.

“Harper’s light will always shine through us, and we hope her memory inspires others to work toward a safer, more compassionate world.”

Both grieving families thanked the Annunciation community for its support and praised the courage of parishioners and staff.

“Over the past day, I’ve heard many stories accounting the swift and heroic actions of children and adults alike, from inside the church. Without these people and their selfless actions, this could have been a tragedy of many magnitudes more. For these people, I am thankful,” Mr Merkel said.

“Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life.”

He closed his statement with an emotional appeal: “Give your kids an extra hug and kiss today. We love you. Fletcher, you’ll always be with us.”

Harper’s parents also urged action to address the causes of such tragedies.

“We also believe it is important that her memory fuels action. No family should ever have to endure this kind of pain,” they said.

“We urge our leaders and communities to take meaningful steps to address gun violence and the mental health crisis in this country. Change is possible, and it is necessary, so that Harper’s story does not become yet another in a long line of tragedies.”

Authorities said 15 children between the ages of six and 15, along with three adult parishioners, were also injured in the attack. Two victims remained in critical condition as of Thursday morning.

The shooter, who died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, was described by acting US Attorney Joseph Thompson as someone who “idolised some of the most notorious school shooters and mass murderers in our country’s history.”

“More than anything, the shooter wanted to kill children,” Mr Thompson said.

“The shooter was obsessed with the idea of killing children. Defenceless children.”

The only group Westman did not hate was “mass murderers and shooters,” he said.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said the suspect was armed with three legally purchased firearms, a shotgun, a rifle, and a pistol.

At the scene, officers recovered more than 100 rifle rounds, along with several shotgun shells and a jammed handgun with one live bullet inside.

Investigators recovered hundreds of pieces of evidence from the church and three residences, the police chief said.

They found more writings from the suspect but no additional firearms or a clear motive for the attack on the church the shooter once attended.

“No evidence will ever be able to make sense of such an unthinkable tragedy,” Mr O’Hara said.

Westman, whose mother worked for the parish before retiring in 2021, left behind several videos and page upon page of writings describing a litany of grievances.

One read: “I know this is wrong but I can’t seem to stop myself.”

On a YouTube channel, videos that police say may have been posted by the shooter show weapons and ammunition, and list the names of mass shooters.

What appears to be a suicide note to family contains a confession of long-held plans to carry out a shooting and talk of being deeply depressed.

Reverend Dennis Zehren, who was inside the church with the nearly 200 children, said the responsorial psalm - which spoke of light in the darkness - had almost ended when he heard someone yell, “Down down, everybody down,” and gunshots rang out.

FBI Director Kash Patel said on X that the attack was an act of domestic terrorism motivated by hate-filled ideology, citing the shooter’s statements against multiple religions and calls for violence against US President Donald Trump.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz on Thursday sent state law enforcement officers to schools and churches in Minneapolis, saying no child should go to school worried about losing a classmate or gunshots erupting during prayer.

On a YouTube channel titled Robin W, the person filming the video points to two windows in what appears to be a drawing of the church and then stabs it with a long knife.

The now-deleted videos also show weapons and ammunition, scrawled with “kill Donald Trump” and “Where is your God?” along with the names of past mass shooters.

There also were hundreds of pages written in Cyrillic, a centuries-old script still used in Slavic countries.

In one, Westman wrote, “When will it end?”

There were no past arrests or anything in the shooter’s background that would have prevented Westman from being able to legally purchase a firearm, investigators said on Thursday.

Federal officials referred to Westman as transgender, and Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey decried hatred being directed at “our transgender community”.

In 2020, a judge approved a petition, signed by Westman’s mother, asking for a name change from Robert to Robin, saying the petitioner “identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification”.

- with AP