On Wednesday, Vice President J.D. Vance and Second Lady Usha visited Minneapolis to meet with the parents of the victims affected by a recent shooting at a Catholic school.
During what he described as a deeply emotional gathering, Vance reflected, “I never had a day like this before.” He felt the weight of grief from those affected, including a wounded child, anguished parents, the gunman, and church leaders.
He mentioned, “These parents opened their lives and hearts to me amid the worst sadness of their lives.”
The tragedy occurred when a 23-year-old gunman, Robin Westman, barricaded the church door and fired into the school during opening hours, resulting in significant chaos.
As a gesture of support, Vance and Usha laid two bouquets of flowers tied with blue ribbons at the entrance of the church where the shooting happened.
Afterward, they visited the site of Westman’s attack—a church sanctuary where he indiscriminately fired 116 rounds during Mass—and then headed to Minnesota Hospital to meet children affected by the violence.
There, Vance spoke with 10-year-old Weston Halsne, who had just undergone surgery after being shot in the neck. He also met Lydia Kaiser, the same age, who was injured while trying to protect her therapy dog, affectionately known as “Little Buddy.”
Vance called for prayers for all the families impacted, saying, “If you’re the praying kind, please think of this innocent girl who is still fighting for her life after surgery.” He expressed his concern about the rising death toll, which has now reached two.
The grieving parents expressed a desire for more focus on the victims, Fletcher and Harper, instead of the shooter. One parent shared that discussions should center around the children’s dreams and hopes that have now been abruptly cut short.
Vance emphasized that all the parents he met were looking for solutions to prevent future shootings. “They come from diverse political backgrounds, but they share a common plea that we seriously examine the root causes and how to keep dangerous individuals from accessing firearms,” he noted.
Reflecting on the meeting, Vance stated, “I will honor these parents and the children they lost” by embracing his own children a little tighter that evening.
He urged others to do the same, mentioning, “There are families in Minneapolis who will never have that opportunity again.”
