10-Year-Old Survives After Friend Takes Bullet At Minneapolis Catholic School

A 10-year-old boy survived the deadly shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, thanks to his friend who took the bullet for him. Weston Halsne was among the students who gathered for Mass to mark the first week of school.

When the shooting began inside the church, Halsne and his friend, Victor, quickly hid under the pews. "I thought it was just something, then I heard it again. I just ran under the pew, and then I covered my head," he told CNN.

The bullets came from the stained-glass windows next to him, he said.

His friend, Victor, lay on top of him to shield him from bullets but was struck in the back, he added.

"My friend, Victor, like saved me though because he lay on top of me, but he got hit," he explained. He added that he felt what he believed was gunpowder on his neck from the shots.

"I was super scared for him, but I think now he's okay," he said.

Police said the gunman, 23-year-old Robin Westman, opened fire through the stained-glass windows of the church before 8:30 am. During the shooting, two children, aged 8 and 10, were shot dead, and at least 17 others sustained injuries.

Police found that Westman had planned to post content about the shooting on YouTube. Investigators are reviewing it, but the material has since been removed from the platform.

Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O'Hara said the man used all three weapons and fired dozens of rounds. He tried to barricade the doors with a wooden plank on the side of the church where he was shooting.

O'Hara said the children hid under the pews and looked for safe spots and followed the procedures they had practised during mock drills.

A video shared on Westman's YouTube channel ahead of the shooting showed him stabbing a drawing of a church on paper. Another video posted to the same channel carried a four-page letter in which Westman sought forgiveness for his actions.

He suggested that the family change their names and "move on."

"I don't expect forgiveness, and I don't expect any apology. I have to hold a lot of weight. But to my family and those close to me, I do apologise for the effects my actions will have on your lives," he wrote.

"Please know I care for all of you so much, and it pains me to bring this storm of chaos into your lives. This will affect so many more people than the ones that are immediately involved," he added.