MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — 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 Annunciation 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.”
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.
