Minneapolis Council honors 8‑year‑old Annunciation victim Fletcher Merkel

The Minneapolis City Council unanimously passed a resolution Feb. 19 honoring the life of 8‑year‑old Fletcher Merkel, one of two students killed in the Aug. 27 mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in south Minneapolis. The resolution describes Fletcher, born Jan. 17, 2017, as an inquisitive boy who loved all sports — including the Green Bay Packers — and was especially fond of animals, butterflies and frogs, saying his 'bright light was extinguished' when a gunman fired more than 100 rounds through the church’s stained‑glass windows during school Mass. Annunciation Principal Matthew DeBoer addressed the council, saying "Fletcher’s light will never go out" before leading a rendition of "This Little Light of Mine," while Council Member Linea Palmisano noted that "healing is a journey, but the sting will never go away." The August attack left two students dead and 30 people injured, including students and staff, and this formal city recognition becomes one of the first official memorial acts tying the child’s story to the public record as families, classmates and neighbors continue to push for accountability and gun‑law changes at the Capitol.