The Annunciation Catholic Church and School community is marking one year since a devastating shooting during an all-school Mass that killed two children and injured dozens of others, leaving families, students, teachers and parishioners to cope with lasting trauma.
The attack happened on August 27, 2025, during the first all-school Mass of the academic year at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis. According to investigators and subsequent reports, the gunman fired more than 100 rounds through the church’s stained-glass windows while students and staff were gathered inside. Eight-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski were killed, while 18 children and three adults were injured.
The shooting lasted only a few minutes, but its consequences have continued to affect the community for an entire year. Families have described the period since the attack as a painful mixture of grief, fear, healing and efforts to rebuild a sense of normalcy.
The gunman, a former Annunciation student, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after the attack. A massive investigation followed, involving Minneapolis police, the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and other law-enforcement agencies.
Authorities recently released approximately 2,600 pages of investigative records, providing additional information about the police response and the investigation. The records detail how more than 150 first responders moved through the scene, treated victims and worked to secure the church and school. Investigators also interviewed numerous witnesses, relatives and people who had known the shooter.
The newly released documents have offered a clearer picture of the emergency response while also leaving important questions for families and the wider public. Investigators continue to examine the shooter’s background, behavior and access to firearms as part of understanding the circumstances surrounding the attack.
For the Annunciation community, however, the anniversary is not simply about the investigation. It is also about remembering Fletcher and Harper and supporting the children and families whose lives were permanently changed.
In the year following the shooting, Annunciation families have worked to turn grief into action. Parents formed the Annunciation Light Alliance, advocating for changes intended to reduce the risk of future gun violence. Community members have also continued gathering for prayer and remembrance.
The school has faced the difficult task of helping children return to classrooms while carrying memories of what happened. Teachers and administrators have worked to provide emotional support as students have continued their education and adjusted to the anniversary of the tragedy.
As the one-year anniversary approaches, families are remembering the victims while acknowledging that recovery does not happen on a fixed timetable. Some survivors and relatives have spoken about finding ways to move forward without forgetting what happened.
The wider Catholic community has also continued to support Annunciation. Archbishop Bernard Hebda recently urged the faithful and community members to remain “beacons of light” as the anniversary approached, recognizing the continuing impact of the shooting on the parish, school and families.
For those who lost loved ones, the anniversary brings renewed grief. For survivors, it can revive painful memories of the morning when a school Mass became a scene of unimaginable violence.
Yet the community has also demonstrated resilience. Students have returned to school, families have gathered in prayer, and memorials continue to honor Fletcher and Harper.
One year later, Annunciation Catholic Church remains a place marked by tragedy but also by remembrance, faith and a determination to support those still healing.
The Annunciation shooting remains one of the most painful chapters in the Minneapolis community’s recent history. As August 27, 2026, marks one year since the attack, families and community members continue to remember those lost while working toward healing and a safer future.
