The parents of the two schoolchildren fatally shot in a Minneapolis church spoke out for the first time on Thursday afternoon, with some imploring the shaken community to address the root causes of shootings that target schools, the AP reports. Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10, were killed on Wednesday morning when a shooter opened fire at a Mass that hundreds of students at Annunciation Catholic School attended.
- In a statement released Thursday, Moyski's parents described Harper as "a bright, joyful, and deeply loved 10-year-old" who was "adored" by her younger sister. "As a family, we are shattered, and words cannot capture the depth of our pain," the statement read. The 10-year-old's parents said that they were focused on healing in the wake of the shooting, but added that they hoped Harper's memory would fuel action that might prevent shootings going forward. "No family should ever have to endure this kind of pain," Harper's parents wrote. "We urge our leaders and communities to take meaningful steps to address gun violence and the mental health crisis in this country."
- Fletcher Merkel's father, Jesse Merkel, tearfully read a statement on Thursday outside of the church where his son was killed, saying the eight-year-old loved his family and friends and enjoyed fishing, cooking and playing any sport. Because of the shooter's actions, Merkel said, "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." "Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life," Merkel said.
(Authorities say the shooter
was "obsessed" with the idea of killing children.)
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