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At Gophers Opener, Fleck Mourns Two Children Killed in Church Shooting

Coach P.J. Fleck devoted his postgame remarks to mourning, urging accountability.

Overview

  • Two students, identified as Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10, were killed during a packed Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis.
  • Fifteen other students and three parishioners in their 80s were wounded in the attack, which occurred about eight miles south of the University of Minnesota.
  • The Gophers’ 23-10 win over Buffalo marked the first major sporting event in the city since the shooting, with a pregame moment of silence at Huntington Bank Stadium.
  • Fleck spoke for nearly three minutes before taking football questions, expressing grief for families, calling for accountability, and saying the team hoped to offer a brief glimmer of hope.
  • Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell and GM Kwesi Adofo-Mensah also voiced sorrow, while local coverage reported the gunman targeted children before taking their own life.