The two school children killed in Wednesday’s mass shooting at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis have been identified by the families as 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski.
Fletcher’s father, Jesse, released the following statement:
“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 man he was on his way to becoming. Fletcher loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking, and any sport he was allowed to play.
While the hole in our hearts and lives will never be filled, I hope that in time our family can find healing. I pray that the other victim’s family can find some semblance of the same. I am hopeful that all of the wounded are able to make a full recovery and return home to their families. Finally, that all the people and especially the children impacted by this horrific event are able to recover mentally and find the strength to live happy, loving, and full lives.
Over the past day I have 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.
Moving forward we ask not for your sympathy but for your empathy as our family and the Annunciation community grieve and try to make sense of such a senseless act of violence. Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life. Please give your children an extra hug and kiss today. We love you Fletcher, you will always be in our hearts.”
Harper’s parents, Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin, released the following statement:
“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.
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.
We also grieve for our fellow Annunciation family in mourning and for those hurt yesterday. We are grateful for the staff and first responders who did so much for so many yesterday.
While our immediate focus is on Harper and our family’s healing, we also believe it is important that her memory fuels action. No family should ever have to endure this kind of pain. 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.
We are deeply grateful for the outpouring of love, prayers, and support. Harper’s light will always shine through us, and we hope her memory inspires others to work toward a safer, more compassionate world
At this time, we kindly ask the media and community to respect our privacy as we mourn and honor Harper’s life together. We need space to grieve, to support Harper’s sister, and to hold tightly to one another.
We will not be making any further statements at this time.”
The post Children killed in Annunciation shooting identified: ‘The hole in our hearts will never be filled’ appeared first on Alpha News MN.
Click this link for the original source of this article.
Author: Alpha News Staff
This content is courtesy of, and owned and copyrighted by, http://alphanewsmn.com and its author. This content is made available by use of the public RSS feed offered by the host site and is used for educational purposes only. If you are the author or represent the host site and would like this content removed now and in the future, please contact USSANews.com using the email address in the Contact page found in the website menu. Follow Jonah on Twitter at @JTorgerud.
