Minnesota governor Tim Walz revealed during the Vice Presidential debate on Tuesday night that his teenage son, Gus, had witnessed a shooting at a community centre in St Paul last year.
“Look, I got a 17-year-old, and he witnessed a shooting at a community centre playing volleyball. Those things don’t leave you,” Walz said, referencing the traumatic event during a discussion on gun violence in the United States.
The incident occurred in January 2023 at the Jimmy Lee Rec Center, where a staff member shot a 16-year-old boy in the head. Gus Walz was among the 100 young people present at the time. His coach, David Albornoz, later praised Gus in a Facebook post for his composure during the ordeal, writing how Gus had “kept everyone safe and calm, looking after the kids in the gym” as Albornoz rushed out to assess the situation.
The shooter, Exavir Dwayne Binford Jr pleaded guilty to first-degree assault and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. According to the criminal complaint, the shooting followed a heated confrontation after a fight between several girls led to the centre being placed in lockdown. When one girl let her cousin inside, which upset Binford, he brandished a gun. After a physical altercation, Binford pulled out the weapon and shot the 16-year-old.
Walz’s revelation during the debate drew a sympathetic response from Senator JD Vance. “I didn’t know that your 17-year-old witnessed the shooting. And I’m sorry about that. And I hope, Christ, have mercy. It is awful,” Vance said.