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(NewsNation) — A memorial outside Annunciation Catholic School grew Friday arsenic the satellite learned the identities of the 2 children killed and new details astir the shooter.
The shooting, which occurred during the school's solemnisation of Mass, near 18 others injured, including 15 children. Officials said six children were inactive successful the infirmary Thursday, with 2 successful superior oregon captious condition.
Hennepin County wellness officials are expected to springiness an update connected the shooting astatine 12 p.m. CDT connected Friday.
A motion stands amid flowers astatine a memorial astatine Annunciation Catholic Church aft Wednesday's schoolhouse shooting connected Aug. 28, 2025, successful Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
People commune astatine a memorial astatine Annunciation Catholic Church aft a schoolhouse shooting, connected Aug. 28, 2025, successful Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
People beryllium crossed a memorial adjacent boarded windows damaged successful Wednesday's schoolhouse shooting astatine Annunciation Catholic Church connected Aug. 28, 2025, successful Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Written messages are near connected hearts astatine a makeshift memorial astatine Annunciation Catholic Church aft a schoolhouse shooting, connected Aug. 28, 2025, successful Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Abbie Parr)
Families retrieve children killed successful Minnesota shooting
Those killed included 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski, their families confirmed Thursday.
“Yesterday, a coward decided to instrumentality our 8-year-old lad Fletcher distant from us,” father Jesse Merkel told section media. “I anticipation that successful time, our household tin find healing. I commune that the different victim’s household tin find immoderate semblance of the same."
“Please retrieve Fletcher for the idiosyncratic helium was, and not the enactment that ended his life,” helium added.
Moyski's household remembered her arsenic a "bright, joyful, and profoundly loved 10-year-old."
“Our hearts are breached not lone arsenic parents, but besides for Harper’s sister, who adored her large sister and is grieving an unimaginable loss,” said Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin. “As a family, we are shattered, and words cannot seizure the extent of our pain.”
Stories from the injured person besides emerged. One 13-year-old, changeable successful the stomach, asked doctors to commune with him earlier heading into surgery.
Another 12-year-old pupil underwent exigency surgery. Her parent was a caregiver astatine a section infirmary — and she went into enactment not knowing her girl was 1 of the victims.
Minnesota shooter had 'deranged fascination' with schoolhouse shootings
Authorities said the suspected shooter, 23-year-old Robin Westman, died connected the country from a self-inflicted gunshot.
While no motive has been determined for Westman's actions, constabulary said their probe has shown the shooter "expressed hatred towards astir each radical imaginable."
Westman had a “deranged fascination” with previous schoolhouse shooters and was obsessed with hurting children, according to Minneapolis constabulary Chief Brian O'Hara.
"The shooter saw the onslaught arsenic a mode to people our astir susceptible among us, portion they were astatine their astir susceptible — astatine school, astatine church," said Joseph Thompson, acting U.S. lawyer wide for Minnesota, connected Thursday.
