HEARTBREAKING: Victims Of Transgender Shooter Identified

Two children killed in Wednesday’s mass shooting at a Minnesota church have been identified after members of their families came forward to announce their names.

On Thursday, the father of eight-year-old Fletcher Merkel spoke at a heartbreaking press conference about his son’s final moments at Assumption Church in Minneapolis, which served his K-8 school.

“Yesterday, a coward decided to take our eight year old year old son, Fletcher, away from us,” he said. “Because of their actions, 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’s father spoke about his love for fishing, friends, cooking, “and any sport that he was allowed to play.”

The father added, “While the hole in our hearts and lives will never be filled, I hope that in time, our family can find healing. I pray that the other victim’s family can find some semblance of the same.”

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Harper Moyski, 10, was also killed in the anti-Catholic shooting, which the FBI is investigating as a hate crime. Both died when the gunman, a young man struggling with mental health and a gender disorder, began firing through an open church window.

Harper’s parents remembered their daughter 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,” her parents, Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin, said in a statement obtained by ABC News. “As a family, we are shattered, and words cannot capture the depth of our pain.”

At least 18 others, including 15 children, were wounded in the shooting. Endre Gunter, 13, is recovering from surgery, while Sophia Forchas, 12, is still fighting for her life in intensive care.

The victims’ families praised the authorities’ response to the shooting.

Jesse Merkel credited local and federal officers for their “swift and heroic actions of children and adults alike, from inside the church,” he said. “Without these people and their selfless actions, this could have been a tragedy of many magnitudes more. For these people, I’m thankful.”

Harper’s parents said they “also grieve for our fellow Annunciation family in mourning and for those hurt” and that they are “grateful for the staff and first responders who did so much for so many yesterday.”

Harper’s parents said they hope their daughter’s memory “fuels action” to rein in America’s mass shooting and mental health crises.

“No family should ever have to endure this kind of pain,” they said. “We urge our leaders and communities to take meaningful steps to address gun violence and the mental health crisis in this country. Change is possible, and it is necessary — so that Harper’s story does not become yet another in a long line of tragedies.”