Investigators have stated that the assailant who opened fire on children during prayers at a Minneapolis church was “obsessed with the idea of killing children.”
According to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, Robin Westman, who killed two children and injured 18 others, appeared to lack a specific motive.
The attacker “appeared to hate all of us,” the chief stated on Thursday, adding, “More than anything, the shooter wanted to kill children.”
The deceased children have been identified by their family as eight-year-old Fletcher Merkel and ten-year-old Harper Moyski.
“Yesterday, a coward decided to take our eight-year-old son Fletcher away from us,” his father, Jesse Merkel, told reporters.
“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,” he said.
“Fletcher loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking, and any sport that he was allowed to play.”
“Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life,” he continued, his voice breaking with emotion.
“Give your kids an extra hug and kiss today. We love you, Fletcher. You’ll always be with us.”
Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin, the parents of Harper Moyski, said in a statement that their daughter “was a bright, joyful, and deeply loved 10-year-old whose laughter, kindness, and spirit touched everyone who knew her.”
The family added that Harper’s little sister “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.”
They also expressed their hope that “her memory fuels action” to prevent further gun violence.
“No family should ever have to endure this kind of pain…. Change is possible, and it is necessary – so that Harper’s story does not become yet another in a long line of tragedies.”
Authorities have released limited information regarding the suspect’s background but have confirmed that she previously attended the church’s school and had a mother who had been employed there.
The 23-year-old suspect reportedly approached the Annunciation Church, which also houses a school, and fired numerous shots through the windows using three firearms. A smoke bomb was also discovered at the scene by police.
Witnesses have recounted scenes of children bleeding and fleeing the church, desperately seeking help from strangers.
In a Thursday news conference, Acting US Attorney General for Minnesota Joseph Thompson stated that “the shooter expressed hate towards many groups, including the Jewish community and towards President Trump.”
The attacker, who died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, left a note, officials confirmed, but they noted that a definitive motive may remain elusive.
“I won’t dignify the attacker’s words by repeating them; they are horrific and vile,” Mr. Thompson stated.
Westman’s name was legally changed from Robert to Robin in 2020, with the judge noting: “Minor child identifies as a female.” However, certain federal officials and police have referred to Westman as a man while discussing the attack.
Chief O’Hara urged news outlets to cease using the killer’s name, asserting that “the purpose of the shooter’s actions was to obtain notoriety.”
He added that she, “like so many other mass shooters that we have seen in this country too often and around the world, had some deranged fascination with previous mass shootings.”
US officials have long cautioned that mass shootings can inspire copycat killings as perpetrators seek infamy through their heinous acts.
Several prominent news organizations maintain a policy of not identifying mass killers.
FBI Director Kash Patel has characterized the attack as “an act of domestic terrorism motivated by a hate-filled ideology.”
In a post on X, Patel stated that the attacker “left multiple anti-Catholic, anti-religious references” inscribed on firearms and in notes uncovered by investigators.
“Subject expressed hatred and violence toward Jewish people, writing Israel must fall,’ ‘Free Palestine,’ and using explicit language related to the Holocaust,” he wrote.
The killer also “wrote an explicit call for violence against President Trump on a firearm magazine.”
During their news conference, officials verified that the attacker had previously been a student at the school. Her mother, Mary Grace Westman, previously worked at the school and has not yet responded to attempts by law enforcement to contact her.
They also confirmed that three residences associated with the attacker, who was from suburban Minneapolis, have been searched by police.
They noted that the church had locked its doors before the Mass service commenced, potentially saving numerous lives.
Officials further stated that all the firearms used in the attack were legally purchased, the killer was not on any government watchlists, and police are unaware of any mental health diagnoses or treatments she was receiving.
Witnesses and relatives of victims who spoke to the BBC recounted harrowing scenes of violence.
Patrick Scallen, a resident near the church, reported seeing three children fleeing the building, including a girl with a head wound.
“She kept saying, ‘please hold my hand, don’t leave me,’ and I said I wasn’t going anywhere.”
Vincent Francoual, whose 11-year-old daughter Chloe was inside the church during the shooting, said he tried to remain calm after hearing the news.
He lamented the “sick” reality that children in the US are trained to prepare for mass shootings.
“We live in a country where we train kids what to do. And she did what she had to do,” he said.
“Here it’s a pattern. It’s no longer a freak accident,” he said of school shootings in the US.
“I told my wife that every morning, when we drop our kids, we don’t know if she’d be back safe.”
Mr. Francoual, originally from France, said that Chloe is afraid to return to school or church.
In the aftermath of the attack, several lawmakers, including the Minneapolis mayor, have called for a state ban on assault weapons.
“There is no reason that someone should be able to reel off 30 shots before they even have to reload,” said Mayor Jacob Frey, also advocating for a ban on high-capacity ammunition magazines.
“We’re not talking about your father’s hunting rifle here. We’re talking about guns that are built to pierce armor and kill people.”
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