Annunciation School principal details deadly Minneapolis shooting in letter to Vance
The principal of Annunciation School sent a letter to Vice President Vance pleading for intervention after a deadly shooting occurred on the church grounds last week.
Matthew DeBoer’s three children were on school grounds during the active shooter situation and knelt as gunshots pierced the windows in the sanctuary and surrounding areas.
His letter addressed both the vice president second lady Usha Vance, whom he told, “we ARE in a war.”
“This does not have to keep happening ... It shouldn’t be easier for this shooter to get a gun — or anyone — than it is for my child to see their pediatrician,” DeBoer wrote in his letter to the vice president, as reported by The Minneapolis Star.
“It shouldn’t be easier for this shooter to get a gun — or anyone — to walk up to a church, to shoot 116 shots into stained glass windows with children feet away from them for 2 and a half minutes than it is to order ... dinner on Door Dash, but it is,” he added.
Three different weapons were used by the 23-year-old suspected shooter, Robin Westman. Two children were killed, and 18 others were injured during the active shooter situation.
DeBoer urged the Vances to help promote unity and acknowledge that gun violence is not a partisan issue but a crisis in which human lives are at risk.
“Join us in our humility. Join us in our love. Join us in refusing to participate in the divisive rhetoric about all the topics. We are all human, shooter and victims alike,” DeBoer said.
“Politicians and parents. Prisoners and Saints. We are all made in God’s image and likeness. Join us in believing this, and acting like it.”
Amid concerns for the future of the school, DeBoer said he has forgiven the shooter and tried to reconcile with the incident through scripture and urged others to do the same.
“Let us move forward to build our future filled with hope. Blue and red, American and not American, male and female, slave and free, Gentile and Jew, Vances and Walz(es),” DeBoer concluded.
“Let us all move forward and let us build our future filled with hope — hand in hand, rooted in love, together.”
The vice president's office did not respond to requests for comment regarding the letter. Vance visited the site of the shooting on Wednesday and paid respect to the lives lost due to the violent attack.