The 8-year-old boy killed in the horrific mass shooting at Annunciation Church on Wednesday has been identified as Fletcher Merkel.

Merkel was one of two children killed when 23-year-old Robin Westman fired a rifle through the window of the church as students attended mass ahead of the start of classes in the adjacent school.

The other student killed, a 10-year-old, has not yet been publicly identified.

Fletcher Merkel's father, Jesse Merkel, gave an emotional statement outside Annunciation Church on Thursday, paying tribute to his beloved son and asking for empathy for his family.

"Yesterday, a coward decided to take our 8-year-old son Fletcher away from us. Because of their actions, we will never be allowed to hold him, talk to him, play with him, and watch him grow into the wonderfu

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