The grieving parents of two children killed when transgender gunman Robin Westman opened fire on a Catholic school Wednesday shared their memories of their beloved children.
Jesse Merkel announced at a news conference on Thursday that his eight-year-old son, Fletcher Merkel, was gunned down while attending Mass services at Annunciation Catholic School.
Hours later, Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin revealed that their 10-year-old daughter, Harper, was also killed in the tragedy, which left 18 others injured.
Speaking to reporters for the first time following his son’s untimely death, Jesse told how his son ‘loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking and any sport that he was allowed to play’ as he blasted the gunman who took the young boy’s life.
‘Yesterday, a coward decided to take our eight-year-old son Fletcher away from us,’ Jesse said, with tears streaming down his face.
‘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.’
Jesse then asked the public to ‘remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life.’
In their own statement, Moyski and Flavin said Harper was a ‘bright, joyful and deeply-loved 10 year old whose laughter, kindness and spirit touched everyone who knew her.
The victims of Wednesday’s shooting have been identified as Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10
Speaking to reporters for the first time following his son’s untimely death, Jesse Merkel told how his son ‘loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking and any sport that he was allowed to play’ as he blasted the gunman who took the young boy’s life
‘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,’ they continued, noting that they are ‘shattered and words cannot capture the depth of our pain.’
The grieving parents then called for action on gun control, saying they ‘believe it is important that [Harper’s] memory fuels action.
‘We urge our leaders and communities to take meaningful steps to address gun violence and the mental health crisis in this country,’ they said.
‘Change is possible and it is necessary – so that Harper’s story does not become yet another in a long line of tragedies.’
Moyski and Flavin also said they are ‘deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers and support.
‘Harper’s light will always shine though us and we hope her memory inspires others to work toward a safer, more compassionate world.’
Westman had acquired all three firearms used in the massacre legally, despite an apparent mental health struggle.
In a suicide note posted to a now-deleted YouTube page, Westman wrote that she ‘was corrupted by this world and have learned to hate what life is.
‘There is too much to accept, too many things to put with just to live,’ the shooter continued. ‘I’m tired of the pain this world gives out.’
Gunman Robin Westman, 23, shared her mental health struggles in a letter to friends and family that she posted in a now-deleted YouTube video
Westman, a former student at Annunciation who turned the gun on herself after the shooting, also appeared to be struggling with her gender identity.
She complained in a manifesto that she was ‘tired of being trans’ and claimed she had ‘brainwashed herself.’
Westman ultimately wrote that she wanted ‘to go out on my own means.’
‘Unfortunately, due to my depression, anger and twisted mind, I want to fulfill a final act that has been in the back of my head for years,’ Westman wrote.
The gunman had even apparently made several trips to scope out her alma mater in the months before she opened fire during Mass
‘Both times I went to the church, I didn’t see any men under the age of 55,’ Westman wrote in a combination of Russian Cyrillic and English in a manifesto she shared in a disturbing 20-minute long video, according to the New York Post.
‘I only saw old people and some mom-aged ladies, some with very young kids. Even still, these boomers could be packing.’
The gunman then mused that she should probably check the school’s publicly-posted calendar, where she discovered that there was ‘an all-school mass’ scheduled for August 27.
Westman was an alum of Annunciation, who turned the gun on herself after the shooting
Investigators believe Westman created a detailed drawing of the inside of the church based on her prior visits there
In another entry on August 10, Westman wrote: ‘I bet the front doors will be unlocked today. I will go to Starbucks at 8:40, chill there, [then] walk to the church at 9:30, arrive about three minutes late.’
Westman ultimately arrived at the church for her stakeout pretending to be a lapsed Catholic looking to reconnect with the religion, a senior law enforcement official said, according to CNN.
Based off of those visits, Westman created a detailed drawing of the inside of the church, investigators say.
They now believe the shooter initially planned to carry out the attack from inside the church, but because mass had started, the doors were locked.
Westman killed two children and injured 18 others while they sat in pews and prayed at the church during morning Mass
Westman shot through stained glass windows at children sitting on the pews
‘A number of the doors had been locked once Mass began, which is part of their normal procedure,’ Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara told CNN.
‘We believe that this step also played a part in ensuring this tragedy did not become that much worse.’
If Westman had been able to place the wooden boards on the doors, those trapped would have been left stuck and blocked by orange smoke, O’Hara said.
But because all doors were locked, including the emergency exit, Westman switched gears and shot blindly through the church’s stained glass windows.
O’Hara also noted that Westman showed off wooden boards with smoke canisters attached that were possibly intended to trap students inside.
‘Check this out,’ Westman could be heard saying in the clip. ‘This will be for the emergency exit.’
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara said Westman showed wooden boards with smoke canisters attached in a YouTube video, meaning she possibly intended to trap students inside
At other points in the video, which authorities are combing over, the gunman showed off a kill kit of ammunition, magazines and firearms.
They revealed a twisted obsession with other school shooters, along with a hatred for President Donald Trump.
She had labeled one of the rifle magazines ‘Kill Donald Trump.’
Others contained anti-church sentiments, including: ‘Take this all of you, and eat!’, ‘Do you believe in God?’ and ‘Where is your God?’
O’Hara now says Westman ‘harbored a whole lot of hate towards a wide variety of people and groups.’