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 attacker appeared to hate all of us, the chief said on Thursday, adding: More than anything, the shooter wanted to kill children.
The murdered children have been identified by family as Fletcher Merkel, eight, and Harper Moyski, 10.
Yesterday, a coward decided to take our eight-year-old son Fletcher away from us, his father, Jesse Merkel, told reporters.
Fletcher loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking and any sport that he was allowed to play, he said.
The parents of Harper Moyski, Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin, described their daughter as a bright, joyful, and deeply loved 10-year-old. They called for action to stop gun violence, stating, 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.
Officials have released few details so far about the suspect's background, but say Westman had previously attended the church's school and had a mother who had worked there. The 23-year-old suspect approached the Annunciation Church and fired dozens of shots through the windows using three firearms, with a smoke bomb found at the scene.
Witnesses described seeing children bleeding as they fled, begging for help. In a 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. Westman was found dead at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, having left a note that may never divulge her full motives.
FBI Director Kash Patel has labeled the incident as an act of domestic terrorism motivated by a hate-filled ideology. Investigators discovered anti-Catholic and anti-religious references among the shooter's writings and noted several previous connections to the church's school.
Following this tragedy, community leaders are advocating for stricter gun control laws to prevent such horrendous acts from occurring in the future.
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 attacker appeared to hate all of us, the chief said on Thursday, adding: More than anything, the shooter wanted to kill children.
The murdered children have been identified by family as Fletcher Merkel, eight, and Harper Moyski, 10.
Yesterday, a coward decided to take our eight-year-old son Fletcher away from us, his father, Jesse Merkel, told reporters.
Fletcher loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking and any sport that he was allowed to play, he said.
The parents of Harper Moyski, Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin, described their daughter as a bright, joyful, and deeply loved 10-year-old. They called for action to stop gun violence, stating, 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.
Officials have released few details so far about the suspect's background, but say Westman had previously attended the church's school and had a mother who had worked there. The 23-year-old suspect approached the Annunciation Church and fired dozens of shots through the windows using three firearms, with a smoke bomb found at the scene.
Witnesses described seeing children bleeding as they fled, begging for help. In a 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. Westman was found dead at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, having left a note that may never divulge her full motives.
FBI Director Kash Patel has labeled the incident as an act of domestic terrorism motivated by a hate-filled ideology. Investigators discovered anti-Catholic and anti-religious references among the shooter's writings and noted several previous connections to the church's school.
Following this tragedy, community leaders are advocating for stricter gun control laws to prevent such horrendous acts from occurring in the future.
