Heroes still exist today.
The mass shooting that took place at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis on Tuesday left two children dead and 17 other individuals injured. In the middle of gunfire, one young boy did the heroic: he tried to shield his friend.
According to the BBC, 10-year-old Weston Halsne told WCCO about how his friend did the unthinkable by jumping in to save him.
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“My friend got hit in the back,” Halsne says. “He went to the hospital…I was super scared for him, but I think now he’s okay.”
Halsne says that he was sitting only two seats from the window where the shots came through.
“I think I got gunpowder on my neck,” says Halsne. “I just ran under the pew, and then I covered my head. My friend, like, saved me though ’cause he laid on top of me, but he got hit.”
NEW: Fifth grader at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis says he was saved by his friend who jumped on top of him during the shooting.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) August 27, 2025
"My friend… he was lying on top of me, like, making sure I was safe, and he got hit."
Hero. pic.twitter.com/hGtxrO0JB4
Another witness in the neighborhood, Patrick Scallen, spoke with the BBC where he noted that three children were running out of the building, including a girl with a wound in her head.
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“She kept saying, ‘please hold my hand, don’t leave me,’ and I said I wasn’t going anywhere,” Scallen said.
In the middle of this horrific tragedy, it is the bravery of those like Halsen’s friend and Patrick Scallen that remind us directly of Jesus’ words, “Greater love has no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends,” (Jn. 15:13).
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In the face of such unspeakable evil, the light of courage and love still shines. As we grieve with the families and community devastated by this tragedy, let us lift them up in prayer. May the Lord bring comfort to the brokenhearted, healing to the wounded and peace to every child, parent and teacher impacted by this horrific act.
Abby Trivett is content development editor for Charisma Media.
