The parents of the two schoolchildren fatally shot in a Minneapolis church spoke out for the first time on Thursday afternoon, with some imploring the shaken community to address the root causes of shootings that target schools .

Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10, were killed on Wednesday morning when a shooter opened fire at a Mass that hundreds of students at Annunciation Catholic School attended.

Fifteen other Annunciation students between the ages of 6 and 15 years old were shot. Three adults — all in their 80s — were also shot. They have not been identified. Most of the victims are expected to survive, authorities said.

A call to action

In a statement released Thursday, Moyski’s parents described Harper as “a bright, joyful, and deeply loved 10-year-old” who was “ado

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