Jesse and Mollie Merkel have maintained the bedroom of their 8-year-old son, Fletcher, as a memorial following his death in a 2025 school shooting. The room in south Minneapolis remains in a similar state to how it was left, containing his personal belongings and collections.
Fletcher Merkel was one of two students killed on August 27, 2025, when a gunman opened fire at the Annunciation Catholic Church and School. The incident led to the inclusion of his room in an ongoing documentary project that records the living spaces of children killed in school shootings.
The room contains items reflecting the 8-year-old’s interests, including Legos, buffaloes, Green Bay Packers memorabilia, and a Cub Scout uniform. Among the preserved items is a journal where Fletcher had written a plan to take cookies from a jar, as well as a pair of shoes purchased three weeks before his death. His father, Jesse Merkel, described the space as a personal monument to his son's character.
A person observing these memorials would notice the preservation of everyday items—such as worn-through shoes or a well-used blanket—that illustrate the daily routines of a child prior to their death. The documentary project, "All the Empty Rooms," which includes eight such bedrooms, creates a record of these losses for public viewing. The parents stated they hope the visibility of these spaces will influence how others perceive the personal consequences of such events, potentially affecting future discourse on school safety.
The knock-on effects include the continued documentation of such rooms by photographers and filmmakers for as long as shooting incidents occur. This creates a growing archive of evidence regarding the impact on residential life and family structures. While no specific legislation or court dates are mentioned in relation to the Annunciation shooting, the project sets a precedent for using private domestic spaces as a medium for documenting the aftermath of public violence. The documentary related to these rooms received an Academy Award in March, indicating a level of public and critical recognition for this method of documentation. Future documentation for interested parents will continue as long as the events persist.