Two days after a shooter took the lives of two children attending Mass during their first week of school, the Minneapolis community is mourning its deep losses and still searching for answers about the attacker’s motives.

An 8-year-old and 10-year-old were killed in the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church, which includes a school for grades preschool through 8th, the morning of Aug. 27. Another 18 people were injured, including 15 children and three parishioners in their 80s, authorities said.

The children killed were identified by family and media outlets as Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10.

The shooter fired dozens of rounds through stained-glass windows toward children sitting in pews during a service to celebrate the return to the school year. Investigators said 23-year-old Robin Westman was “obsessed with the idea of killing children” and expressed hatred toward several groups in writings being combed through. They have not yet identified a motive.

Authorities comb through hundreds of pages of writings

Investigators were looking through evidence for a potential motive, including hundreds of pages of writings, videos and posts on social media.

The killer left behind detailed plans for the attack and praised other mass shooters in the writings, according to Joseph Thompson, acting U.S. attorney for the District of Minnesota. Westman expressed “hate towards almost every group imaginable,” Thompson said.

“In short, the shooter appeared to hate all of us,” said Thompson, calling the writings “horrific” and “vile.” Westman “saw the attack as a way to target our most vulnerable among us,” Thompson said on Aug. 28.

YouTube videos posted from an account linked to the shooter show weapons with racist, homophobic, antisemitic and other hateful scrawlings on them. The writing on the weapons included references to other mass shooters and a threat against President Donald Trump.

Minneapolis mourns victims, prays for injured

Dozens gathered at another church on Aug. 28 for a candlelight vigil, the day after the Annunciation slayings rocked the community on the heels of a shocking 24 hours of repeated fatal shootings in the city. Others mourned outside Annunciation, embracing in tears and holding signs. One read: “You are important.”

Family members of the victims began identifying their loved ones.

Jesse Merkel, father of 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel, called the suspected shooter a “coward” who took his son’s life.

“Please remember Fletcher for the person he was and not the act that ended his life,” Jesse Merkel said. “Give your kids an extra hug and kiss today. We love you, Fletcher. You’ll always be with us.”

The family of Harper Moyski, 10, identified her as the second child killed in a statement to CBS News and KSTP-TV.

“Harper was a bright, joyful, and deeply loved 10-year-old whose laughter, kindness, and spirit touched everyone who knew her,” the family said in the statement.