Gov. Tim Walz participated in Tuesday night’s vice-presidential debate, during which he disclosed that his son, Gus Walz, had witnessed a shooting. This revelation elicited a visible reaction of surprise and sadness from his opponent, JD Vance.
Walz detailed the incident, stating, “I’ve got a 17-year-old and he witnessed a shooting at a community center playing volleyball.” In response, Vance murmured, “That’s awful,” while shaking his head.
Both candidates expressed their condemnation of the epidemic of school shootings. Although they agreed on the severity of the issue, they proposed different solutions. Vance suggested enhancing physical security measures, whereas Walz emphasized the need for gun control legislation.
Addressing Walz directly, Vance commented, “Tim, first of all, I didn’t know that your 17-year-old witnessed a shooting, and I’m sorry about that and I hope he’s doing OK. Christ have mercy, it is awful.” Walz responded, “I appreciate you saying that.”
This story was initially reported in the NPR Network’s live blog covering the 2024 vice-presidential debate between JD Vance and Tim Walz. For further details on the campaign, visit NPR’s Elections page.
