'He Saved Me': Fifth Grader Says Friend Shielded Him During Annunciation Catholic Shooting In Minneapolis

MINNEAPOLIS, MN — In the chaos of Wednesday’s shooting at Annunciation Catholic School, a fifth grader said his friend’s quick action saved his life.

Weston Halsne was sitting near the stained-glass windows when the gunfire erupted three minutes into the first all-school Mass of the year.

“It was like shots fired … through the stained-glass windows,” Halsne told a CNN reporter. “It was really scary. I was like two seats away. The shards were right next to me.”

Halsne said he dove under a pew as the glass shattered. "I think I got gunpowder on my neck," he recalled. That’s when his friend Victor threw himself on top of him.

"My friend Victor saved me because he laid on top of me. But he got hit," Halsne said.

Police said the attack began around 8:30 a.m. when a 23-year-old gunman opened fire from outside the church, shattering windows and sending students and teachers scrambling for safety. Two children, ages 8 and 10, were killed and 17 others injured before the shooter took his own life, authorities said.

For Halsne, the moment was terrifying. "I thought the first one was something else," he said. "But when I heard it again, I just ran under the pew and covered my head."

The students were eventually moved to the school gym, where staff locked the doors while waiting for word from police. "We waited in the gym for more news," he said.

Halsne later reunited with his mother outside the church. “I was super happy to see her because I was scared I wasn’t going to,” he said. “I didn’t know what was happening. I was in shock.”

Even as he processed what happened, Halsne kept returning to his friend’s bravery. "He’s really brave, and I hope he’s good in the hospital," he said. "To everyone who had to go to the hospital: I hope you’re okay. I’m praying for you."

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