LEILA FADEL, HOST:
We now know the names of the two children who were shot and killed Wednesday at Annunciation Church and Catholic School.
MICHEL MARTIN, HOST:
Ten-year-old Harper Lillian Moyski and 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel lost their lives in the pews of the church at a Mass to celebrate the first week of school. In his first public statement, Fletcher's father, Jesse Merkle, asked that we remember his child for who he was, not how he died.
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JESSE MERKLE: Fletcher loved his family, friends, fishing, cooking and any sport that he was allowed to play.
FADEL: Joining us from Minneapolis is NPR's Jason DeRose. Good morning, Jason.
JASON DEROSE, BYLINE: Hello.
FADEL: So, Jason, Jesse Merkel said this would be his only statement on his son's death. What did he want people to know about Fletcher?
DEROSE: Well, in addition to what Fletcher loved, his father wanted to make sure people understand the depth of the family's loss.
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MERKLE: 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.
DEROSE: His son was just 8 years old in third grade, and he had an entire life in front of him.
FADEL: You can hear the depths of the grief in his voice. Now, in addition to what Jesse Merkle wanted people to know about his son, what does he want people to do in the aftermath of this shooting?
DEROSE: Well, he really focused on not allowing his son's death to be the defining characteristic of his life.
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MERKLE: We ask not for your sympathy but your empathy as our family and the Annunciation community grieve and try to make sense of such a senseless act of violence. Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life. We love you, Fletcher. You'll always be with us.
DEROSE: And Merkel said he really hopes his family and the school and the church community will be able to eventually heal from the loss - not forget the loss, but heal from it.
FADEL: And what do we know about the 10-year-old girl who also was killed during that Mass? What do we know about her?
DEROSE: Well, her name, as you said, is Harper Lillian Moyski. According to the county medical examiner here, she was just starting fifth grade, and she had a lot of friends. One of Michael Burt's daughters is one of those friends. He says his daughter had so many fond memories of the two of them together.
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MICHAEL BURT: My daughter was telling me stories as we were going to bed last night of sleepovers they've had and goofiness of fifth grade girls - fourth grade girls last year - just makeup gone wrong and staying up late and watching movies.
DEROSE: Burt says he wants to help his daughter keep the memory of her friend alive.
FADEL: And, Jason, what is the latest on what law enforcement has learned about the shooter?
DEROSE: Well, police say 23-year-old Robin Westman attended Annunciation Church, where the killing took place, and attended the Catholic school there as well when they were younger. The shooter's mother had been employed at the school until a few years ago. Authorities have not identified a specific grievance against the church or the school. They've reviewed surveillance video at the church and say it shows that the shooter did not enter the building. Police say the shooter had no criminal history and no other incidents that would have put them on law enforcement's radar. And they say there's no evidence that the shooter was radicalized but did have a fascination with mass violence.
FADEL: That's NPR's Jason DeRose joining us from Minneapolis. Thank you for your reporting, Jason.
DEROSE: You're welcome. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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