Current:Home > MarketsCoach praises Tim Walz’s son for helping protect other kids after shooting -Dynamic Wealth Solutions
Coach praises Tim Walz’s son for helping protect other kids after shooting
View
Date:2025-04-14 13:12:27
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — When the issue of gun violence came up at the vice presidential debate, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz had a personal story to tell: His teenage son, Gus, had been at a sports center last year when a shooting took place.
Gus Walz was at volleyball practice at the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center in St. Paul the afternoon of Jan. 18, 2023, when a 16-year-old was shot and seriously wounded outside.
It wasn’t the first time Tim Walz had spoken about his son’s brush with gun violence, and the shooting itself was widely publicized locally. But the Democrat’s remarks Tuesday night at his debate with Republican JD Vance, as the public is still getting to know both vice presidential candidates, offered the biggest stage yet to personalize an issue that has deeply affected many American families.
On Wednesday, the youth’s volleyball coach, David Albornoz, praised Gus in an interview with The Associated Press for how he helped get other kids to safety and keep them calm amid the chaotic scene.
“I was impressed by Gus and the kids in general, and how they handled it,” Albornoz said. “Gus stayed with the kids as he was supposed to do.”
The shooting came up as Walz and Vance were debating gun violence.
“Well, I think all the parents watching tonight, this is your biggest nightmare,” Walz said. “Look, I’ve got a 17-year-old and he witnessed a shooting at a community center playing volleyball. Those things don’t leave you.”
Gus didn’t actually see the shooting itself, but he did witness the aftermath, said Albornoz, who is also aquatics facilities supervisor for St. Paul Parks. Among other things, he said, Gus saw Albornoz with blood on his hands from performing first aid on the victim.
Walz briefly brought up the shooting at a campaign rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan, on Sept. 12, when he accused Vance and his running mate, former President Donald Trump, of minimizing gun violence at schools.
“My own son was in a location where someone was shot in the head. Too many of us have this,” the governor told the crowd.
Walz also mentioned it in an interview with Minnesota Public Radio in March, when he said Gus was still dealing with his feelings a year later.
“He was there with little kids, littler kids. He was kind of supervising. He shuffled them under the bleachers,” Walz told MPR.
Albornoz broadly backed up the governor’s version, although his memory was that Gus took the kids back to the pool area, where they waited behind locked doors until they got the all clear.
Gus got national attention during his father’s speech at the Democratic National Convention in August, when he was caught on camera standing up, tears streaming down his face. In a viral moment, Gus pointed to his father and exclaimed, “That’s my dad!”
After Gus got some derision for that, Albornoz posted a tribute on Facebook, saying they met when the teen sought him out to lead a volleyball team. He called Gus a “kid thrown into the fray and turmoil of our current divided and divisive political landscape, deserving of love and respect as he navigates his senior year.” He recalled how they and other kids would often go out for tacos after games.
“I also know him from when a kid got shot in the parking lot and he helped keeping everyone safe and calm, looking after the kids in the gym with us as I rushed out,” he wrote in August.
What to know about the 2024 Election
- Today’s news: Follow live updates from the campaign trail from the AP.
- Ground Game: Sign up for AP’s weekly politics newsletter to get it in your inbox every Monday.
- AP’s Role: The Associated Press is the most trusted source of information on election night, with a history of accuracy dating to 1848. Learn more.
On Wednesday, Albornoz said Gus is just a regular teen who has suddenly been thrust into the national spotlight.
“He’s a normal kid in extraordinary circumstances,” the coach said.
In February, a judge sentenced Exavir Binford Jr., a rec center employee, to more than 10 years for shooting JuVaughn Turner. Binford pleaded guilty to first-degree assault in exchange for prosecutors dropping an attempted murder charge. Prosecutors say Binford shot Turner in the head during an altercation involving them and other teens. Turner’s family is now suing the city, saying he suffered permanent brain damage. They allege the city knew he had a history of violent conduct and threats to minors. The city has moved to dismiss the lawsuit, saying Binford was not acting within his official duties and had no police powers when he shot Turner.
On Tuesday night, after Walz brought up the shooting, Vance expressed his empathy.
“Tim, first of all, I didn’t know that your 17-year-old witnessed a shooting, and I’m sorry about that. Christ, have mercy. It is awful,” Vance said.
“I appreciate that,” Walz replied.
veryGood! (59)
Related
- EU countries double down on a halt to Syrian asylum claims but will not yet send people back
- Best compact SUVs and crossovers for 2024: Everyday all-rounders
- Former reporter settles part of her lawsuit over a police raid on a Kansas newspaper for $235,000
- How an automatic watering system can up your plant game
- Have Dry, Sensitive Skin? You Need To Add These Gentle Skincare Products to Your Routine
- Kansas’ top court rejects 2 anti-abortion laws, bolstering a state right to abortion access
- 6 people injured after ride tips over at Independence Day Carnival in Washington
- Who’s who in Britain’s new Labour government led by Keir Starmer
- The White House is cracking down on overdraft fees
- New UK prime minister Keir Starmer vows to heal wounds of distrust after Labour landslide
Ranking
- 2025 'Doomsday Clock': This is how close we are to self
- Lynx forward, Olympian Napheesa Collier injures foot
- Who won Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Hot Dog Eating Contest 2024? Meet the victors.
- Hurricane Beryl leaves Armageddon-like destruction in Grenada, field of devastation on Union Island, Caribbean leaders say
- FACT FOCUS: Inspector general’s Jan. 6 report misrepresented as proof of FBI setup
- Does Dad of 4 Boys Michael Phelps Want to Try for a Baby Girl? He Says…
- Air travel is getting worse. That’s what passengers are telling the US government
- It’s a fine line as the summer rainy season brings relief, and flooding, to the southwestern US
Recommendation
DeepSeek: Did a little known Chinese startup cause a 'Sputnik moment' for AI?
Multiple injuries reported after July 4 fireworks malfunction in Utah stadium, news report says
Conservative Justice Amy Coney Barrett shows an independence from majority view in recent opinions
An electric car-centric world ponders the future of the gas station
Which apps offer encrypted messaging? How to switch and what to know after feds’ warning
Shannen Doherty's Cancer Journey, in Her Own Words
Speeding pickup crashes into Manhattan park, killing 3, NYPD says
It’s a fine line as the summer rainy season brings relief, and flooding, to the southwestern US