One of the young students killed in a mass shooting at a Minneapolis Catholic church was identified Thursday as his father tore into the “coward” gunman who took his son’s life.

Fletcher Merkel, 8, and another 10-year-old student “were killed where they sat” in pews during a back-to-school Mass when 23-year-old Robin Westman opened fire through the stained glass windows of Annunciation Church and Catholic School on Wednesday.

The 8-year-old was remembered as a bright boy who loved family, friends, and cooking. Family handout

Jessie Merkel, Fletcher’s father, paid tribute to his son a day after the boy was gunned down by a transgender shooter. FOX 9

Jessie Merkel, Fletcher’s father, struggled to fathom how the actions of such a “coward” could’ve taken his son away.

“Fletcher love

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