Investigators say that the attacker who opened fire on pupils as they were praying at a church in Minneapolis was obsessed with the idea of killing children. Robin Westman, who killed two children and injured 18 others, did not seem to have any specific motive, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara. The chief noted that the attacker appeared to hate all of us, adding, More than anything, the shooter wanted to kill children. The murdered children, identified by family as Fletcher Merkel (8) and Harper Moyski (10), have left their families devastated.
Jesse Merkel, the father of Fletcher, expressed his grief, saying, Yesterday, a coward decided to take our eight-year-old son Fletcher away from us. We will never be allowed to hold him, talk to him, or watch him grow into the wonderful young man he was on the path to becoming. The parents of Harper Moyski, in a heartfelt statement, described their daughter as a bright, joyful, and deeply loved 10-year-old who deeply touched everyone she met.
Officials have released few details about the suspect's background, but she was known to have attended the church's school and had a mother who worked there. Witnesses described the chaos, with children bleeding as they fled the church, and reports indicate the shooter used three firearms along with a smoke bomb during the attack. The shooter died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene, and a note was discovered, although officials acknowledge the motive may never be fully understood.
In the aftermath of the shooting, calls for legislative changes to gun control laws have intensified, with advocates urging the government to take decisive action against gun violence. Mayor Jacob Frey of Minneapolis has vocalized the need for a ban on assault weapons, stating, There is no reason that someone should be able to reel off 30 shots before they even have to reload. This incident serves as a grim reminder of the ongoing challenges surrounding gun violence and the safety of children in schools and public spaces.
