OAN Staff Katherine Mosack
1:33 PM – Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance visited Minneapolis on Wednesday, to meet with families and victims of the tragic shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church.
The shooting occurred on August 27th, during a school Mass when 23-year-old transgender assailant Robin Westman fired 116 rounds into the building before turning the gun on himself.
The attack resulted in the deaths of two children — 10-year-old Harper Moyski and 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel — while injuring 21 others, most of whom were children.
“They will hold a series of private meetings to convey condolences to the families of those affected by the tragedy,” the White House said of the visit in a statement.
Vance, the GOP vice president who converted to Catholicism in 2019, as well as his wife Second Lady Usha Vance, arrived at Annunciation Catholic Church on Wednesday, a week after the disturbed gunman opened fire during the first Mass of the new school year.
The Vances stood before a memorial in front of the church, paying their respects by laying bouquets of flowers down among the others in the grass, before going to personally meet with the families.
“Nothing is happening,” said Kacie Sharpe, whose 8-year-old son, Trip, was sitting near one of children who passed. “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.”
Following the attack on the Catholic schoolchildren, numerous calls for prayer were made, including by Vance. However, several Democrat leaders have continuously decried the “thoughts and prayers” phrase, suggesting that it instills them with anger.
Former Press Secretary for Joe Biden Jenn Psaki posted on X, saying: “Prayer is not freaking enough. Prayers does not end school shootings. Prayers do not make parents feel safe sending their kids to school. Prayer does not bring these kids back. Enough with the thoughts and prayer.”
Vance then responded to Psaki’s post by clarifying what many Americans have felt ought to have been straightforward.
“We pray because our hearts are broken. We pray because we know God listens. We pray because we know that God works in mysterious ways, and can inspire us to further action,” Vance stated. “Why do you feel the need to attack other people for praying when kids were just killed praying?” He added.
Last weekend, the church held Masses in the school gym, as it has yet to reconsecrate its building for worship, and the school has not announced when classes will resume.
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