Another child's room now a silent memorial to the toll of school shootings
In south Minneapolis, a second-floor bedroom remains much as it was. For the parents of 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, it's something every American should see.
August 21, 2026 / 8:01 PM EDT / CBS News
The room belonged to 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel. For his parents, Jesse and Mollie, it's a silent memorial.
Fletcher was one of two students killed by a gunman who opened fire at the Annunciation Catholic Church and School on Aug. 27, 2025.
"He's not with us the way we want him to be, but this is the best we have," Jesse said. "It's one of the most personal monuments to who he was as a person."
"If the room's not his, I feel like that memory — like I won't feel it the same way," said Mollie.