Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday met with families and victims of a shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis that killed two schoolchildren and injured 21 people.
Security was heavy outside Annunciation Catholic Church ahead of the visit by Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, and second lady Usha Vance. The visit comes one week after an attacker opened fire during the first Mass of the school year for students of the nearby Annuciation Catholic School.
“They will hold a series of private meetings to convey condolences to the families of those affected by the tragedy,” the White House said in a statement but released few other details.
After arriving at the church, the Vances stood in front of a memorial and laid bouquets amid the numerous other flowers before walking to meet the families.
Some family and neighbors gathered across the street as the Vances arrived at the church, holding signs calling for bans on assault weapons. One read, “Pro-Life = Pro-Gun Safety.” Another read, “When you pray, move your feet," a popular phrase from people who say thoughts and prayers are not enough.
“Nothing is happening," said Kacie Sharpe, whose 8-year-old son, Trip, was sitting near one of children who was killed. "And it keeps happening over and over and over — and nothing changes. And it’s the most helpless feeling in the world to know that you can’t send your kids to school and have them be safe.”
Vance made no public statement after the meeting, which lasted roughly an hour and 45 minutes. As he left, his motorcade rolled past a few dozen protesters, several holding signs saying, “Hate Won’t Make America Great.”
Archbishop Bernard Hebda of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis told Minnesota Public Radio earlier Thursday that he apparently didn't make the cut for invitations and wouldn't be there. But Hebda, who has met with the families himself, welcomed Vance's visit.
“I was happy to hear that the parents were interested in meeting with the vice president,” Hebda told MPR. “I know they’ve met with other politicians as well, and I think it gives an opportunity for them to put a face on this great tragedy.”
Hebda also said it has been edifying to see all the prayers and other support from Pope Leo and other clergy, the community and beyond, for all the families whose children attend Annuciation.
“For them to have the opportunity to share, up close, with the vice president and his wife, as they’ve done with our governor and our senator and our mayor, I think is a great opportunity to educate about what occurred and then to begin planning for how we can move forward,” the archbishop said.
The shooter, 23-year-old Robin Westman, died by suicide after firing 116 rifle rounds through the church’s stained-glass windows last Wednesday as hundreds of students and others gathered for worship.
While investigators say they have not found a clear motive for the attack, the shooter had connections to the school. Westman’s mother worked for the parish before retiring in 2021, and Westman once attended the school.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joe Thompson said last week that the shooter left behind videos and writings that “expressed hate towards almost every group imaginable” but admiration for mass killers.
The school has not said when classes will resume or a ceremony will be held to essentially reconsecrate the church so that worship can resume there. The church celebrated its Masses last weekend in the school gym.
One of the children who was injured, 10-year-old Weston Halsne, had surgery Wednesday to remove a bullet fragment from his neck, his family said in a statement issued through Children's Hospital of Minneapolis.
“The procedure went well, and Weston is expected to make a full physical recovery,” they said.
Weston, a 5th grader, didn't realize he was hit at the time. He told reporters after the shots blasted through the windows that he ducked for the pews, covering his head.
“My friend Victor like saved me though because he laid on top of me. But he got hit,” he said.
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