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10-year-old recalls friend getting shot while saving him during Minneapolis school shooting
Police said that two children, aged eight and 10 years old, were killed following a shooting attack during a Mass at a Minneapolis Catholic school.
A shooter opened fire through church windows on Wednesday, killing two children and injuring several others. The Minneapolis church was stuck when children were celebrating Mass during the first week of school. 10-year-old Weston Halsne, who was at the church during the attack, recalls how he was saved by his friend, who lay on top of him and even got hit by a bullet.
During an interview, Halsne was asked if he had friends inside who had been hit by bullets. The kid said that his best friend was shot and added that he was going to be ok. He then recalled the moment when another friend of his shielded him with his body.
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“My friend Victor — he was like laying on top of me like making sure I was safe and he got hit. So that was really brave of him,” Halsne continued, recalling how his friend showed bravery during the harrowing situation.
When asked how he was feeling, the kid said he was confused and never thought it would happen to them.
Minneapolis school attack
According to Minneapolis Police Department Chief Brian O'Hara, a masked gunman started firing several weapons through the Annunciation Church and Catholic School. The suspected shooter was armed with a shotgun, rifle, and pistol.
According to reports, two children, aged eight and 10, were killed in the attack. The shooting injured 17 others, including 14 children.
About the suspected shooter:
O'Hara said that the suspected shooter was identified as Robin Westman. He died from a self-inflicted wound at the scene. As per a yearbook photo, 23-year-old Westman was an alum of Annunciation’s grade school and graduated in 2017.
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The suspected shooter’s mother filed to legally change the suspect’s name in 2019, from Robert Paul Westman to Robin M. Westman, according to the court documents, cited CNN.
The judge who approved the name change reportedly wrote that the suspect “identifies as a female and wants her name to reflect that identification.”
