Did Tim Walz’s son witness a school shooting?

Unlike the two 2024 presidential debates, there were multiple instances during the Oct. 1 vice presidential debate when Gov. Tim Walz and Sen. JD Vance, even if briefly, found some common ground where they could stand. One of the issues where they expressed a certain degree of agreement revolved around gun violence, particularly when it involves kids. Both agreed that school shootings are a phenomenon that should not be happening anywhere in America and that something must be done in order to end this epidemic.

The CBS moderators accurately described gun violence as “the leading cause of death for children and teens in America […].” A study published by KFF found that, in 2020 and 2021, more American teenagers died as a result of gun violence than from any other cause, injury or illness, surpassing the number of deaths caused by vehicular accidents. This is a statistical fact that should break everyone’s hearts.

After Vance answered the moderator’s question, it was the Minnesota Governor’s turn, during which he said: “Here’s what I do think: this is a good start to the conversation. I a hundred percent believe Senator Vance hates it when these kids… It’s abhorrent and it breaks your heart. I agree with that.”

After finding common ground, Walz addressed where the two views diverge, “But that’s not far enough. When we know there are things that work.”

This is an excellent start to a candid conversation on an issue that desperately needs solutions. To illustrate his points with a real and personal example, Walz started his argument by sharing how his 17-year-old son Gus witnessed a shooting in 2023, something Vance expressed sympathy for.

What happened? And where did the shooting take place?

On Jan. 19, 2023, The Minnesota Star Tribune reported that a 26-year-old man had been arrested after shooting a 16-year-old boy in the head outside the Jimmy Lee recreational center in St. Paul. The boy survived but is still suffering from the aftermath of his injuries. The shooter, Exavir D. Binford Jr., an employee at the center, pleaded guilty to first-degree assault in December 2023 and was sentenced in February 2024 to ten years in prison.

It wasn’t known at the time of the incident, but Gus Walz was present at the scene, although he was not involved in the altercation that led up to the shooting.

The shooting took place in the rec center’s parking lot, which is right across Central High School, where Gus was a sophomore at the time. He was attending volleyball practice that day and, Star Tribune quoted Coach David Albornoz as recalling how Gus “helped keep everyone safe and calm, looking after the kids in the gym with us as I rushed out.” Central High went into lockdown for about an hour after the shooting and classes were cancelled the following day to allow the students to process the event.

Everyone wishes for a way to solve this rampant problem. But as Gov. Walz asked: “Do you want your schools hardened to look like a fort? Is that what we have to [do]?”

This is an issue Americans on both sides of the bipartisan political spectrum care about and that was reflected and properly addressed, in a more fruitful dialogue than we may be used to in today’s politics, during the vice presidential debate. Hopefully, some actual legislative solutions are not too far on the horizon.