Dave Hrbacek, OSV News / Omnes
Molly Stommes was working from home on the morning of August 27, 2025, when she heard «very loud noises» coming from across the street, where the Annunciation Catholic Church and School are located.
Two of her four children were inside the church in south Minneapolis for Mass, as was her husband, Matt Stommes, while her two youngest children, both in kindergarten, were at the school next door. All four children were excited about the start of the school year, which began with an opening Mass celebrated by the pastor of Our Lady of the Annunciation, Father Dennis Zehren.
Molly, a registered nurse, was in a virtual meeting from her family’s home. «A few minutes after the shooting, a neighbor shouted from my door that there was a problem outside,» recalled Molly, 39. «At that moment, I knew what my instinct was telling me: that something was wrong.».
Reaction within the church and medical assistance
Matt, also 39, was sitting in Mass, away from the students and teachers, in a section reserved for parents. When the shooting began, he obeyed the shouts to get down on the floor. He then crawled to a nearby metal door in the church to try to block the attacker from entering. Others did the same at different doors.
After the shooting stopped, Matt began helping school administrators get the children to safety. During that process, he learned that his four children were unharmed: Charlize, 13, who will be in eighth grade; Finnegan, 9, who will be in third grade; and the twins Etta and Esme, 5, who will be in first grade.
Outside, near Diamond Lake Road, Molly put her nursing skills to work. She hurried across the street to see what was happening. What she saw prompted her to act immediately. «I crossed the street and saw injured children lined up,» she said. «So I started assessing them.».
As the minutes passed, Molly and others, including Matt, began waiting for the ambulances, she said. Molly and Matt stayed with a seriously injured student until the paramedics loaded him into the ambulance. Later, Molly drove the mother of another injured child to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
A Tragedy Shared Among Families Who Are Friends
Molly and Matt talked with other families from Anunciación, and some even came to their house. It was a natural gathering place, yet at the same time surreal for the couple.
That day also included a meeting with Mollie and Jesse Merkel, who lost their son, Fletcher, in the tragedy. Another student, Harper Moyski, also died in the shooting. Two dozen other people, in addition to three elderly people attending the Mass, were injured.
The Merkel and Stommes families had become friends; Fletcher, who was a year older than Finnegan, taught him how to fish and spent time with him during their joint family vacations at Grand View Lodge on Lake Gull, near Brainerd.
As the days went by, the Stommes visited the Merkels and offered them comfort. That friendship and bond continue to endure as the 2026–2027 school year approaches.
The memories of August 27, 2025, are vivid and painful for Molly and Matt Stommes, especially as the one-year anniversary of the shooting approaches.
«August is a very difficult month,» Molly said during an interview on August 17 with *The Catholic Spirit*, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. «Our children have shown great resilience, but this will be quite difficult for some. I think the simple fact of going back to school and the anticipation it brings can be exciting for some, but also difficult for others.».
Neighborly Solidarity and Louie's Comfort
Just as Molly and Matt describe in detail what happened on the day of the tragedy, they can also easily list all the ways in which the people around them have offered them meaningful and practical support.
A lot of people brought them food. «We didn’t cook for over two months,» Matt said. Molly added, «When you’re not sleeping and don’t have an appetite, it was a huge help.».
Another blessing came in the form of a puppy that the Stommes family welcomed in February. They welcomed Louie into their home after a family acquaintance made the necessary arrangements with a dog breeder. «Obviously, raising a puppy isn’t the easiest thing, but it’s been a great joy and a huge help, especially for Finnegan,» Molly said.
After all the trauma their children had been through, it was easy to accept the idea of getting a dog to comfort them. «Right after the shooting, our children—especially the three youngest—insisted on going to school and church to be with the therapy dogs,» Molly said. «That happened every day. They wanted to be surrounded by dogs all the time.».
Faith and a New Path to Peace
Another constant in the Stommes« home is the steadfast hope fueled by their faith and resilience. »The Bible verse our school chose last year was selected before this tragedy,« Molly said. »I think for many of us, it helped us cope in some way: Jeremiah 29:11,” she added.
The last words of that verse were embroidered on the T-shirts worn by the students, parents, and school staff: «a future full of hope.» «On the days when I feel the saddest and most discouraged, I have great hope for our future, and I know that God has a plan for all of us,» Molly told The Catholic Spirit.
«For me, it’s helpful to reflect on how Jesus tells us that we are destined for his kingdom,» Matt said. «This world is a gift, but it is not the end. And it has given me so much hope and encouragement to see everyone around us—both in this community and elsewhere—taking action and dedicating their time to serving others.».
After seeing last year’s theme come to life, they are now ready to embrace this school year’s Bible verse, which is from Luke 1:79 and ends with the phrase: «guide our feet in the way of peace.» «I love the Bible theme we’ve chosen for the coming year,» Molly said. «It reminds us that we are called to prayer and action.».
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