Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski are the two children who were killed by Robin Westman
In the midst of tributes and condolences being sent to the victims of Annunciation Catholic School shooting incident, the families of the two have come forward as they revealed the children’s identity, who lost their lives in the tragic incident. Not sure of what happened? Here’s everything.
Remember the Annunciation Catholic School shooting, we reported earlier, the tragic incident that killed two children in Minneapolis.
Who are Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski,, victims shot dead by Robin Westman in Annunciation Catholic School, Minneapolis shooting
What Exactly Happened?
For context, earlier, on August 27, a mass shooting took place in Minneapolis, at the Annunciation School, during a school-wise Mass attended by a number of students and faculty members of the Annunciation Catholic School.
The culprit behind the tragic shooting opened the fire and killed two children, and injured at least 18 people, before killing herself. The horrified attack that injured at least 15 children and 3 senior-citizens, occurred approximately around 8:30 A.M., when a shooter dressed in all-black approached the side of the church and opened fire via a stained-glass window of the church.
Robin Westman, the shooter, is a transgender suburban Minneapolis resident who was born a biological male and was recently named as the suspect in connection to a mass shooting. He was 23-years-old at the time of his death and had no known criminal history prior to the incident. He lived a low-profile life away from public attention. Although he has no background of violent tendencies, investigators are currently exploring personal and psychological factors that might have contributed to the attack.
Now, a few days after the tragic incident, the family of the dead have come forward as they revealed the identity of the two children.
This is 8 year old Fletcher Merkel, who was killed in the horrific Minneapolis shooting. His father says “Fletcher loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking and any sports that he was allowed to play.”
Let’s remember Fletcher and lift up him and his family. pic.twitter.com/qATgKfjGfg
— Ana Cabrera (@AnaCabrera) August 28, 2025
Identity of the Victims
As per media reports, on Thursday, the families of the victims of Annunciation Catholic School shooting incident have come forward, as they shared the identities of the two. As per counts given by the families, the victims of the horrific incident are identified as Fletcher Merkel, and Harper Moyski, who are 8-years-old, and 10-years-old respectively.
As per reports, both students were attending the all-school Mass of the year, for the first time. Earlier, a video of Fletcher Merkel’s father shook the internet, as it featured his father crying outside the church.
We have learned the names of the children stolen in the Annunciation Catholic School shooting: Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski.
They should be alive. They should be laughing with their friends, safe in their pews, dreaming about the future. Instead, their families are planning… pic.twitter.com/s0DCLwVbBY
— March For Our Lives (@AMarch4OurLives) August 29, 2025
What Did the Viral Video Feature?
The now-viral video features Fletcher Merkel’s father, Jesse Merkel, speaking to the media outside the church tearfully. The Principal of Annunciation Catholic School, Matt DeBoer, was spotted being by his side.
While crying, the father of the deceased can be heard saying “Yesterday, a coward decided to take our 8-year-old son, Fletcher, away from us,” while adding that because of the culprit, they won’t be able to watch their son grow into a fine young man, let alone touch him or hold him. Furthermore, he added that he wished the “other victim’s family can find some semblance.”
“Fletcher loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking and any sports that he was allowed to play,” he added.
Harper’s parents, Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin, meanwhile remembered her as “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,” their statement said.
The wounded include 15 other school children, ages 6 to 15, and three adults in their 80s and one victim remains in critical condition at the hospital.
Minnesota shooter who opened fire in the church of a Minneapolis Catholic School, killing two children, has been identified as Robin Westman, 23. A 10 minute video was posted before the shooting. It is archived here to preserve it for public access pic.twitter.com/DmmNkxE0op
— Cult of Moo-wu (@VHS_Archive) August 27, 2025
As per media reports, Robin Westman mother, identified as Mary Grace Westman, served as a secretary at the same school, her 23-year-old child opened firing, for at least 5 years before calling it quits in 2021.
A Facebook post of the Church of the Annunciation, dated back to August 2021, honoured Mary Grace Westman’s retirement. The now-viral post reads, “On Sunday we honored Mary Grace Westman who is retiring from Annunciation.”
It further emphasized the compassion of the woman during the last five years at the school, and added that they will surely miss her presence, while asserting, “Congratulations on your retirement!”
As per local media, Robin’s mother tearfully answered a call of a reporter, however, at the time, she wasn’t aware her own child was the shooter behind the tragic incident.
While there’s not much information available about Robin’s father, however, online records reveals that James Westman, Robin’s father, owns a home in South Minneapolis, which is located a mile away from the church and school.
This is the face of pure evil.
This is “Robin” (Robert) Westman’s mother, Mary Grace Westman.
She worked at a Catholic School. They awarded her service.
She petitioned the court to “change” Robert’s gender when he was 17.
White liberal women are an actual menace to society. pic.twitter.com/CUN7ty0k1m
— ℜ𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔬𝔯𝔦𝔫𝔤 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔉𝔞𝔦𝔱𝔥 (@rtf_media) August 27, 2025
