Hundreds mourn 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, who was killed in a mass shooting at a Minneapolis church

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A funeral was held Sunday for an 8-year-old boy with an infectious smile and adventurous spirit who was one of two schoolchildren killed when a mass shooter opened fire on a Minneapolis Catholic church during Mass.

Hundreds of mourners gathered for the service of Fletcher Merkel, wearing bright colors instead of somber black at the request of his family. He had boundless energy and exuded generosity, handing out flowers and trading cards just because, said his aunt, Erin Shermak, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported.

“His gift to us was the chance to know him and love him,” she said.

The Aug. 27 shooting injured at least 21 others, most of them students at Annunciation Catholic School. Officials have identified the shooter as Robin Westman, 23, a former student armed with a rifle, pistol and shotgun who allegedly fired more than a hundred rounds through the windows of the church just before 8:30 a.m. Westman was found dead of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot.

A service for Harper Moyski, the 10-year-old girl who was also killed in the shooting, will be held Sept. 14 in Minneapolis. An obituary described the girl as “pure magic,” a dog lover who dreamed of becoming a veterinarian one day.

Speakers at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church on Sunday choked back tears to smile and laugh in honor of Fletcher’s brief life. They held funeral programs featuring his portrait, with the words: “Forever loved, child of God.”

Mourners talked about his love of fishing, something he often did with his dad Jesse, and how he made friends wherever he went.

Fletcher was “always in motion,” a child who loved playing sports and trying out new foods, like pickled herring, according to his obituary.

He was recently and briefly on-air at a local radio station when his mother Mollie called in so Fletcher and other children could give their best impression of fireworks for a contest.

Besides his parents, he leaves behind two brothers and a sister and his dog, Clementine.

Mourners included Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and Gov. Tim Walz and his wife Gwen.

The hearse for the funeral of 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, who died in a school church shooting, arrives at Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church, in Minneapolis, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/Star Tribune via AP)

The motorcade departs after the funeral for 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, who was killed in a church school shooting, at Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025, in Minneapolis. (Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune via AP)

Attendees are greeted by support dogs outside of Mt. Olivet Lutheran Church for the funeral of 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, who was killed in a school church shooting, in Minneapolis, Sunday, Sept. 7, 2025. (Jeff Wheeler/Star Tribune via AP)

NEW DELHI (AP) — A fire ripped through a popular nightclub in India’s Goa state, killing at least 25 people, including tourists, the state’s chief minister said Sunday.

The blaze occurred just past midnight in Arpora village in North Goa, a party hub, some 25 kilometers (15-miles) from the state capital, Panaji.

Goa’s Chief Minister Pramod Sawant said most of the dead were the club’s kitchen workers, as well as three to four tourists. Six people were injured and are in stable condition, he said. All the bodies have been recovered.

The fire was caused by a gas cylinder blast and has been extinguished, the Press Trust of India news agency reported, quoting local police. However, witnesses told the agency that the fire began on the club’s first floor, where nearly 100 tourists were on the dance floor. Several rushed to the kitchen below in the chaos and got trapped along with staff, it said.

Fatima Shaikh said the commotion began as flames erupted, according to the news agency. “We rushed out of the club only to see that the entire structure was up in flames,” she said.

The nightclub, located along the Arpora River backwaters, had a narrow entry and exit that forced the firefighters to park their tankers about 400 meters (1,300 feet) away, delaying the efforts, the news agency said.

Sawant said the club had violated fire safety regulations. The state government ordered an inquiry to determine the exact cause of the fire and responsibility, he said, adding that authorities would act against the club management and officials who allowed it to operate despite the violations.

Local village council official Roshan Redkar told the news agency that authorities had earlier issued a demolition notice for the club, which didn't have construction permit from the government. But higher officials rolled back the order, he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a social media post called the fire "deeply saddening# and said he spoke with Sawant. Modi said the government “is providing all possible assistance” while offering condolences to the victims’ families.

Accidents, particularly involving gas cylinders and electric short circuits, aren’t uncommon in India and often result in casualties, underlining the need for authorities to implement stringent safety protocols.

“This is not just an accident; it is a criminal failure of safety and governance,” Rahul Gandhi, a top leader of India’s main opposition Congress party, wrote in a social media post. He called for a transparent probe to "fix accountability and ensure such preventable tragedies don’t occur again.”

The western coastal state of Goa is one of India’s most popular tourist destinations, known for its sandy beaches.

The charred interiors of a nightclub, which caught fire early Sunday, are seen in Arpora, Goa, India, Sunday, Dec. 7, 2025. (AP Photo)