Minneapolis shooting: Fletcher Merkel's dad fights back tears as he pays tribute to 'wonderful' son

The dad of a little boy killed in a mass shooting has described the child as "a wonderful young man".

Fighting back the tears, Jesse Merkel told reporters today his son Fletcher, eight, liked sport and fishing. Fletcher died after Robin Westman, 23, opened fire at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis as people prayed on Wednesday.

A police chief said Westman "appeared to hate all of us" but had no motive. Acting US Attorney General for Minnesota Joseph Thompson said "the shooter expressed hate towards many groups, including the Jewish community and towards President Trump".

But two innocent children, including Fletcher, lost their lives in the horror. Choking back tears, Jesse added: "Yesterday, a coward decided to take our eight-year-old son Fletcher away from us. Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life."

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Officials have released few details so far about the suspect's background, but say she previously attended the church's school and had a mother who had worked there. The attack shared chilling similarities with one of the deadliest school shootings in US history, which saw Adam Lanza kill 26 people - including 20 children - at Sandy Hook Elementary in Connecticut on December 14, 2012.

Jesse continued: "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. Fletcher loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking and any sport that he was allowed to play... Give your kids an extra hug and kiss today. We love you, Fletcher. You'll always be with us."

Harper Moyski, 10, was also killed in the attack on Wednesday. Her parents, Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin, 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 said that Harper's little sister "adored her big sister and is grieving an unimaginable loss". The statement added: "As a family, we are shattered, and words cannot capture the depth of our pain." They said the family hopes "her memory fuels action" to stop gun violence.

Westman is understood to have approached the side of the Annunciation Church, which also houses a school, and fired dozens of shots through the windows using three firearms. Police also found a smoke bomb at the scene. Witnesses have described seeing children bleeding as they fled from the church, begging for help from strangers.

The attacker, who died at the scene of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, left a note, officials said, but they added that a definitive motive may never be known.

Westman's name was legally changed from Robert to Robin in 2020, with the judge writing: "Minor child identifies as a female". However, some federal officials and police have referred to Westman as a man when discussing the attack.