JD Vance Visits Minneapolis After School Shooting, Speaks with Families

Visit with Grieving Families

• 💔 JD Vance described a heartbreaking yet gratifying visit with parents, the principal, and pastor of children lost in a recent school shooting.
• 💡 Vance emphasized the importance of focusing on the innocent children who died, rather than the "brutal maniac" who committed the act.
• 💬 He shared specific stories of Harper, who had a beautiful smile and recently had her first communion, and Fletcher, an energetic child whose father revisited the chapel where he lost his son.

Messages from the Families

• 🙏 Vance relayed the families' plea for prayers for an innocent girl still in critical condition following the shooting.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 He urged parents to hug their children tight and express their love, acknowledging the profound grief of families who can no longer do so.
• 🎯 The families expressed a strong desire for action to prevent future tragedies and asked for serious consideration of root causes and ways to keep firearms from individuals intending harm.

Response to Gun Laws and Shooter Motivation

• ⚖️ Regarding potential new gun laws, Vance stated he would not dictate specific actions to Minnesota lawmakers but stressed the need for durable and effective steps.
• 🔍 He agreed that individuals planning to target children should be investigated and acknowledged that the shooter in this case seemed to have slipped through the cracks despite showing clear signs of derangement.
• 🤝 Vance noted that parents from diverse political backgrounds were united in their grief and their call for serious examination of preventative measures.

Other Topics and Final Remarks

• 🚢 On the Venezuela vessel strike, Vance briefly mentioned the legal authority was related to stopping terrorists and deadly drugs from entering the country.
• 🏥 He confirmed speaking with Weston, a young boy injured in the shooting, who was recovering well after surgery.
• 🇺🇸 Vance deferred questions about sending the National Guard to Chicago to the President, emphasizing the administration's desire for gubernatorial partnership in crime reduction.
• ❤️ He concluded by reiterating the message to hug your kids as a way to honor the devastated families.