Fifth Grader Tells Reporters Of Harrowing Moments During Shooting At Minneapolis Catholic Church, Says Friend Saved Him But “He Got Hit”

Networks focused almost entirely on the scene in Minneapolis on Wednesday to cover the latest mass shooting at a school, as a gunman fired on children as they celebrated Mass at Annunciation Catholic Church.

Two children were killed, and 14 children and two adults were injured in the shooting. A gunman approached the side of the building “and began firing a rifle through the church windows, towards the children sitting in the pews at the mass,” according to Minneapolis Chief Brian O’Hara. The shooter was armed with a rifle, a shotgun and a pistol, he said, in a “deliberate act of violence against innocent children and other people worshiping.” The gunman took his own life in the rear of the church, he said.

The Associated Press, citing a law enforcement official, identified the gunman as Robin Westman, in his early 20s.

One of the survivors of the shooting was 10-year-old Weston Halsne, a fifth grader, who spoke to a group of reporters gathered at the scene. He said that he believed that the shots were fired through stained glass windows, as he and other students got under the pews.

“It was really scary,” he said, in remarks carried on CNN via KARE-TV, and also carried on CBS News 24/7.

“I was, like, two seats away from the stained glass windows. The shots were right next to me. I think I got … gunpowder on my neck.”

One reporter asked, “When you heard the shots, what went through your head?”

“The first one I was like, ‘What is that?’ … Then I heard it again and I just ran under the pew. And then I covered by head. My friend Victor saved me, though, because he laid on top of me, but he got hit.”

He told reporters that he believes his friend went to the hospital and he was “super scared for him, but I think now he’s okay.”

He told reporters that they have practiced active shooter drills, but in the school. “We’ve never practiced it in the church, though, only in school,” he said. “So it was way different.”

President Donald Trump ordered flags be flown at half-staff through Aug. 31 to honor the victims. Trump posted on Truth Social, “I have been fully briefed on the tragic shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The FBI quickly responded and they are on the scene. The White House will continue to monitor this terrible situation. Please join me in praying for everyone involved!”

The White House also said that Trump had spoken to Minnesota Governor Tim Walz.

Walz wrote on X, “Minnesota is heartbroken. From the officers responding, to the clergy and teachers providing comfort, to the hospital staff saving lives, we will get through this together. Hug your kids close.”

Former President Joe Biden wrote on X, “No parent should ever have to bury their child. Jill and I are heartbroken and there are simply no words to adequately mark such a horrific and painful moment. With all our hearts, we are praying for the victims, their families, and the community of Minneapolis.”

Some anchors grappled with addressing yet another mass shooting, as well as the 44th school shooting this year, per CNN. Dana Bash, interviewing Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), said that she “had to send a note to my brother to say to my niece and nephew, who are 9 and 10, ‘Don’t watch the show today, because I don’t want them to be traumatized.’”

On Fox news, commentator Trey Gowdy said, “What people are crying for now is, ‘How can we prevent this? How can we stop it?’ And the only way to stop it is to identify the shooter ahead of time or keep the weapons out of their hands. And so we’re going to have a conversation of freedom versus protecting children. How many school shootings is it going to take before we are going to have a conversation about keeping firearms out?”