Flowers are seen outside the Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on September 3, 2025. (Photo Credit: Alex Wroblewski)
Annunciation Catholic Church and School, a school where parents didn’t have to fear dropping off their kids at school, knowing that they will come home safe right after school. That all changed on Aug. 27 at 8:30 a.m., when Robin Westman, a 23-year-old, took the lives of 2 innocent children and injured 18 others. According to ABC News, Westman, “armed with a rifle, pistol and shotgun… allegedly fired more than a hundred rounds through the windows of the church just before 8:30.” This tragic event has impacted so many lives in the community.
Fletcher Merkel, an 8-year-old student, and 10-year-old Harper Moyski, both young children who had bright futures, but all was taken away from them.
Merkel was the kind of kid who would bring joy to all. “The Merkel family said Fletcher Merkel loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking, and playing sports,” said [Abbie Parr] with CBS News. Moyski was known for her creativity and her kind spirit. According to CBS News, “Harper’s light will always shine through us, and we hope her memory inspires others to work toward a safer, more compassionate world.” As both families grieve for their children, the Merkel family plans to start a scholarship in Fletcher Merkel’s name at a later time. The Moyski family is urging leaders and communities to take steps to address gun violence and mental health.
The tragedy also left 18 children injured, many of them fighting to recover from serious injuries. According to CBS News, Abbie Parr said, “At least seven victims were in critical condition when they arrived at a nearby hospital”. 12-year-old Sophia Forchas was shot in the head and rushed into emergency surgery – her mother is a pediatric critical care nurse, and she arrived to work to help after the event, not knowing her daughter had been critically injured. Doctors had to remove part of her skull to get the bullet out and though she is still in serious condition, her family says she is “improving slowly.” All the kids that were injured by the glasses shattering and are in critical condition are expected to make a slow recovery.
Westman, the 23-year-old former student who started this tragedy, left a lot of unanswered questions for the community. Though investigators found writings and videos showing her obsession with past shootings and violent crimes, there are no answers as to why she was so angry at her former school.
But what is clear is that this horrible tragedy has an impact on everyone’s lives in the Minneapolis community
Sources: ABC News, CBS News