Gov. Tim Walz, mentioning his family’s exposure to gun violence, made the case for stricter gun control laws.
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Walz Says His Son Witnessed a Shooting at a Community Center
The story by Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota drew sympathy from his Republican opponent, Senator JD Vance of Ohio.
“I got a 17 year old and, and he witnessed a shooting at a community center playing volleyball. Those things don’t leave you. This is a good start to the conversation. I 100 percent believe that Senator Vance hates it when these kids — it’s abhorrent and it breaks your heart. I agree with that. But that’s not far enough.” “Tim first of all, I didn’t know that your 17 year old witnessed a shooting. And I’m sorry about that.” “I appreciate you saying that.” “Christ have mercy, it is awful.”
The story by Gov. Tim Walz of Minnesota drew sympathy from his Republican opponent, Senator JD Vance of Ohio.Credit
In one of the more personal moments of the vice-presidential debate, Gov. Tim Walz said his teenage son had witnessed a shooting at a recreation center near his high school while playing volleyball.
Mr. Walz, the Democratic vice-presidential nominee, made the statement at the debate on Tuesday while answering a question about gun violence, saying the episode affected him: “Those things don’t leave you.”
The Harris campaign said Mr. Walz was referring to a shooting in January of last year, when a 26-year-old employee of at the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center shot a teenager. The center is across the street from Central High School in St. Paul, where Mr. Walz’s son, Gus Walz, is a student and plays volleyball.
The story caught many by surprise, including Senator JD Vance of Ohio, Mr. Walz’s Republican opponent.
“Tim, first of all, I didn’t know that your 17-year-old witnessed a shooting,” Mr. Vance said. “And I’m sorry about that and I just want to say, Christ have mercy. It is — it is awful.”
The governor has mentioned the shooting in the past, including at a campaign event last month in Grand Rapids, Mich.
“My own son was in a location where someone was shot in the head,” Mr. Walz told the crowd in Grand Rapids. “Too many of us have this.”
Nick Corasaniti is a Times reporter covering national politics, with a focus on voting and elections. More about Nick Corasaniti
See more on: J.D. Vance, Tim Walz, 2024 Elections: News, Polls and Analysis, U.S. Politics
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Source: nytimes.com
