A tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis left two children dead and 17 others injured. Ten-year-old Weston Halsne recounts the terrifying moments when his friend shielded him from gunfire. The shooter, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, took his own life after the attack. The community is in shock, but the heroic actions of teachers and students prevented further tragedy.
Heroic Acts Amidst Tragedy: 10-Year-Old Weston Halsne Shares His Story of Survival in Church Shooting
Heroic Acts Amidst Tragedy: 10-Year-Old Weston Halsne Shares His Story of Survival in Church Shooting
Suddenly, gunshots rang out in the church. Ten-year-old Weston Halsne dove under the pews as Robin Westman, 23, opened fire.
"My friend saved me," he told local TV station KSTP.
Two children, aged eight and ten, were killed when the shooter fired through the windows of the church belonging to Annunciation Catholic School. Seventeen others were injured in the mass shooting in Minneapolis—fourteen of them children under 15. None are reported to have life-threatening injuries.
The shooter, identified as 23-year-old Robin Westman, took his own life in a parking lot outside the church.
"It was right next to me. I was sitting just two seats from the church window. So the shots came right next to me. I think I got gunpowder on my neck," Weston Halsne told local TV station KSTP.
When the first shot rang out, he didn't understand what was happening. But when the second shot was fired, he dove under the pew and covered his head.
"My friend saved me. He lay on top of me and he got hit," says Weston Halsne.
His friend is reported to have survived the shooting and is being treated in the hospital.
Thought It Was Fireworks
Weston Halsne recounts that when he finally managed to get out of the church, his mother was the first person he saw.
"I was afraid I wouldn't see her because I didn't know what was happening. I was shocked."
Another student at the school told KSTP that she was in the church when she suddenly heard loud noises—which she mistook for fireworks.
"Then I saw it was a shooting and I thought: 'Oh my God, I'm so scared,'" the girl said.
She recounts that a teacher made sure to take her and her friend down a staircase to seek shelter in a preschool classroom.
"My friend and I... we just prayed and prayed. I prayed that everyone would be okay and that no one would ever do this again."
Matt DeBoer, principal of Annunciation Catholic School, held an emotional press conference on Wednesday evening.
"This is a nightmare, but our staff is a dream team and we will recover. To all our students, families, and staff, I want to say that we love you. You are so heroic and I am so sorry for what happened to us today."
"Just seconds after the situation began, our teachers were heroes. The children crouched down. Adults protected children. Older children protected younger children, and as we heard earlier, it could have been much worse without their heroic efforts."