Annunciation mass shooting investigation detailed in 2,600-page report

Law enforcement has released an extensive report on the response and investigation into last year's deadly attack at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis.

The mass shooting, which occurred during the first Mass of the school year on Aug. 27, 2025, killed 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski. Eighteen other children, ranging in age from 6 to 15, were hurt, as well as three adults. 

The report is about 2,600 pages long, including hundreds of pages of photographic evidence connected to the attack, providing the clearest picture yet of the response and the investigation that followed. 

The report is broken into two: the first stemming from Minneapolis Police Department's investigation, and the second mostly coming from the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension along with other local departments that responded. 

The Minneapolis police report outlines the response of more than 150 first responders, detailing their movements and actions throughout the day, including locating the 23-year-old suspect, treating victims and clearing rooms inside the church.

The police report also lists each witness, victim, neighbors and parents police interviewed following the deadly shooting. It also includes 10 crime lab reports. In all, just this first report is 816 pages long. 

The second report lays out responses from outside agencies, including an off-duty Dakota County Drug Task Force Officer who came to help on scene and a Bloomington officer's response report. 

It also includes a report from the BCA and a synopsis of 15 interviews they conducted as part of their investigation, including interviews with the suspect's dad, a former partner, St. Louis Park library staff, a former employee of the city of Richfield, a family friend and more. 

According to the report, the suspect's father "had no concerns" about the suspect's "behavior leading up to the shooting," but added his ex-wife, the suspect's mother, did have concerns about their interest in airsoft guns. 

In another interview, the suspect's ex-girlfriend described the suspect as "a friendly person" who "would never harm anyone." She said in recent months the suspect had been "distant" but it wasn't concerning behavior.

The suspect, a former Annunciation student, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound after firing nearly 120 rounds into the church's windows.

Stay with WCCO as we work to further examine the documents.