A week after the tragic school shooting, Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance, visited Minneapolis and met with a few victims and their families. The couple paid respects and laid flowers at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis in remembrance of the victims of the shooting that claimed the lives of two children and left 21 injured.
The Vice President was met with protestors calling for gun reforms. Local residents and families of students (including families of victims) were seen holding signs calling for bans on assault weapons. As the Vances walked to the church with flowers in their hand, one of the protestors yelled, “Protect our kids,” and “Do better.”
Another protestor urged, “Listen to the Pope, End the Pandemic of Arms,” referring to Pope Leo’s comment after the shooting incident. On Sunday, the Chicago-based Pope pleaded “to stop the pandemic of arms large and small which infects our world.”
Kacie Sharpe was one of the dozens of protestors who gathered, holding signs during Vance’s visit. Sharpe told that her 8-year-old son, considered one of the deceased victims, Fletcher Merkel, 8, his best friend. She said, “My son lost his lost his best friend in the world because these politicians won’t do anything.”
VP Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance lay flowers at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis in remembrance of the victims of last week’s shooting. pic.twitter.com/4AmXFmhx0v
— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) September 3, 2025
JD Vance and Usha Vance laid bouquets at a memorial outside the church. They also met with several grieving families, including a girl who survived the shooting and is currently on the path to recovery.
8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski were killed on August 27 when 23-year-old Robin M. Westman, with no criminal history, opened fire at the children. According to media reports, he used a rifle, a shotgun, and a handgun that were legally purchased.
While talking to the reporters, Vance said, “A lot of things have happened to me since I’ve become Vice President of the United States. I have never had a day that will stay with me like this day did.”
Vice President Vance discusses meeting with the families of the Minneapolis shooting victims:
“A lot of things have happened to me since I’ve become Vice President of the United States. I have never had a day that will stay with me like this day did.” pic.twitter.com/1pz4CVE2aQ
— Vice President JD Vance (@VP) September 3, 2025
Talking about the deceased children, he wrote on X, “I learned that Harper had a smile that could light up the room, that she loved visiting the national parks with her parents, and that she looked beautiful in her first communion gown. I learned that Fletcher was rambunctious and energetic, that he loved football and basketball, and that he had an amazing head of hair.”
I just left Minneapolis, where I was honored to meet with a number of grieving famlies and hear about their beautiful children–in particular Harper (10) and Fletcher (8), who died in the Annunciation school shooting. I also met another beautiful girl who is recovering well,… pic.twitter.com/mHYWuzl3RF
— JD Vance (@JDVance) September 3, 2025
However, he dodged questions on Democratic Gov. Tim Walz’s intention to call a special session of the legislature to vote on new gun control measures, including assault weapons ban.
Several people were seen holding signs that read: “Hate won’t make America great.” Another sign simply urged to “end gun violence.”
Though Vance didn’t comment on gun violence, he previously linked the tragedy to a “mental health crisis.”
“We really do have, I think, a mental health crisis in the United States of America. We take way more psychiatric medication than any other nation on Earth, and I think it’s time for us to start asking some very hard questions about the root causes of this violence,” the Vice President said at an event in Wisconsin, according to NBC News.
Meanwhile, President Donald Trump revived his old proposal to place weapons in teachers’ hands. He said, “I’ve thrown out the concept, we have great teachers that love our children. The parents love the children, the teacher love the children, too. If you took a small percentage of those teachers that were in the military, that were distinguished in the military, that were in the National Guard, etc., and you let them carry. That’s something that a lot of people like. I sort of liked it.”
