JD Vance visits Annunciation Church a week after mass shooting
VP JD Vance visits Annunciation Church
A week after the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School, Vice President JD Vance and his wife traveled to Minneapolis to pay their respects and meet with those impacted by the shooting.
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - A week after a mass shooting in Minneapolis killed two children and injured 21 other people, Vice President JD Vance visited Annunciation Catholic Church to pay respect to the victims.
JD Vance in Minneapolis
Annunciation shooting: JD Vance visits Minneapolis
Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance visited Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis on Wednesday.
What we know:
Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance visited Minneapolis on Wednesday, Sept. 3, and are said to be hosting a series of private meetings, "to convey condolences to the families of those affected by the tragedy."
Annunciation shooting
US Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance pay their respects to victims of the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on September 3, 2025. On August 27 a shooter opened fire on school children attending a church (Getty Images)
The backstory:
Two children were killed, and 18 children were hurt when a shooter opened fire from outside a church window as Catholic school students were gathering for morning mass on Aug. 27. Three adults in their 80s were also struck by gunfire but survived.
Last week, authorities identified the two children killed in the shooting as Harper Moyski, 10, and Fletcher Merkel, 8.
Police say the shooter left a manifesto filled with hateful remarks towards multiple groups. The chief says the gunman was obsessed with other mass shooters and wanted to become infamous.
Parent demands politicians take action
Annunciation parent: 'Something has to be done'
Kacie Sharpe, whose son was sitting near Fletcher Merkel when he was fatally shot while attending mass at the Annunciation Catholic Church, stood outside the building on Wednesday during Vice President JD Vance's visit and demanded something be done to prevent future shootings.
What they're saying:
Outside the church during Vance's visit, people, including some children, gathered with signs. One sign read, "ban assault weapons."
Kacie Sharpe, whose son was sitting near Fletcher Merkel when he was fatally shot, said, "We do not need these weapons to protect ourselves. We do not need these weapons to hunt. We do not need them. They're for the military. …. This is not OK. …. This is a political problem. Something has to be done. My son lost his best friend in the world because these politicians won't do anything."
Sharpe said they feel "hopeless" that something will be done to prevent similar shootings in the future. "We need something to be done."
Sharpe said an armed guard or armed teachers would not have prevented the Annunciation shooting from happening. She added her son misses his best friend and Fletcher was a great child.
Protesters demanding gun reform gather nearby Annunciation Catholic Church during Vice President JD Vance's visit. (FOX 9)
Meanwhile, the Minnesota DFL Party on Wednesday criticized Vance's record on gun violence as he was set to visit Minneapolis following the Annunciation shooting, saying Vance has called shootings "fake problems" and a distraction. He was also opposed to red flag laws and bans on assault rifles during his time as a senator.
"If JD Vance truly wanted to support Minnesotans affected by gun violence, he would work to pass the commonsense gun safety legislation he spent his entire career opposing," Minnesota DFL Chair Richard Carlbom said in a statement. "We are past the point of showing up with hollow words and empty hands. This appearance is a waste of taxpayer dollars, nothing more than political theater from an administration desperate to hide from its own failures."
U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance arrive to pay their respects to victims of the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting on September 3, 2025 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Vances will pay their respects to the victims of the Annu (Getty Images)