The 8 -year -old boy killed in the tragic shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School on Wednesday was identified by his father as Fletcher Merkel.
He was one of the two children killed in the massive shooting in Minneapolis. The other was a 10 -year -old boy whose identity has not been publicly published.
“Yesterday, a coward decided to take our 8 -year -old son Fletcher of us. Due to his actions, we will never be allowed to hug him, talk to him, play with him and see him become the wonderful young woman who was on the way to become,” said Jesse Merkel, Fletcher’s father, at a press conference outside the school on Thursday.
He said his son loved his family, friends, fishing, kitchen and sports.
“While the hole in our hearts and lives will never be filled, I hope that over time, our family can find healing,” Merkel said.
Fletcher was the second youngest of four children in his family, according to the family spokesman Blois Olson. He and his two older brothers attended yesterday’s Mass, and the other two who were there were not injured in the shooting.
Merkel also shared healing sentences for the other victim’s family, that all injured “can recover completely” and for the mental recovery of all those affected.
“During the last day, I have heard many stories that tell the rapid and heroic actions of children and adults equally, from the inside of the Church. Without these people and their selfless actions, this could have been a tragedy of many more magnitudes. For these people, I am grateful,” Merkel said. “Please remember Fletcher for the person who was and not the act that ended his life.”
He closed his brief comments saying: “Give your children a hug and an extra kiss today. We love you. Fletcher, you will always be with us.”
Another fifteen children, from 6 to 15 years old, were injured in the shooting, as well as three adult parishioners.
Two of the victims were critical until Thursday morning, said a hospital official.
The shooter died of a self -inflicted gunshot wound on the scene.
Joseph Thompson, the United States prosecutor for the Minnesota district, said Thursday that the suspect “idolized some of the most notorious school and mass murderers in the history of our country.”
“More than anything, the shooter wanted to kill the children,” Thompson said. “The shooter was obsessed with the idea of killing the children. Defenseless children.”
The authorities have said that Westman had three legally bought firearms, a shotgun, a rifle and a gun. More than 100 rifle rounds were recovered on the scene, according to the Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.
The authorities also found three rounds of shotguns and a living bullet that was trapped in a gun after it seemed to have struck, O’Hara said.
