VP Vance says meeting with families of victims from Minneapolis church shooting affected him deeply

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday met with families and victims of a deadly shooting at a Catholic church in Minneapolis, and heard a heartfelt plea for action from at least one of those families.

Vance, who converted to Catholicism in 2019, visited the Annunciation Catholic Church one week after an attacker opened fire during the first Mass of the school year for students of the nearby Annunciation Catholic School.

According to Vance's office, the vice president and second lady Usha Vance met privately with family members of victims, the pastor of the parish and the school principal. They included the parents of the two children who were killed, Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10, and families of some of the 21 people who were injured.

The couple also visited the church sanctuary, where the shootings took place, to pay their respects to the victims and their families, and laid bouquets at a memorial outside. They paused to read messages chalked on the church steps, including “God Heals The Broken Hearted,” “We Love you,” and “Show Love.”

“I have never had a day that will stay with me like this day did,” Vance told reporters.

The Vances also went to Children’s Hospital, where several victims were treated, and met Lydia Kaiser, who is recovering from surgery. Her parents urged Vance to use his position to find real solutions to gun violence.

“We disagree about so many things,” her father, Harry Kaiser, a gym teacher at the school, told reporters, reading from a letter he wrote to Vance. “... But on just this one issue of gun violence, will you please promise me — as a father and a Catholic — that you will earnestly support the study of what is wrong with our culture — that we are the country that has the worst mass shooter problem?”

The parents did not take questions. But mother Leah Kaiser cited a proverb quoted by Principal Matthew DeBoer and many others in the days since the shootings, “When you pray, move your feet.” It's an expression of the idea that thoughts and prayers are not enough.

“Vice President Vance, you have enormous authority," she continued. "Please use this moment to move your feet and transcend our political divides to promote peace and unity and hope. This is what the people of the United States will hold you accountable to.”

Some family and neighbors gathered nearby as the Vances arrived at the church, holding signs calling for bans on assault weapons. One read, “Pro-Life = Pro-Gun Safety.” Another referred to comments by Pope Leo on Sunday, “Listen to the Pope, End the Pandemic of Arms.”

"It keeps happening over and over and over, and nothing changes," said Kacie Sharpe. Her 8-year-old son, Trip, considered Fletcher his best friend, and was sitting nearby when he was shot and killed. "And it’s the most helpless feeling in the world to know that you can’t send your kids to school and have them be safe.”

Vance later declined to weigh in on how Minnesota lawmakers or Democratic Gov. Tim Walz should respond to the tragedy, including the governor's stated intention to call a special session of the Legislature to address gun and school safety.

“I would just say, take the concerns of these parents seriously,” Vance told reporters. "I think all of us, Democrat, Republican and independent, want these school shootings to happen less frequently. Hopefully there’s some steps that we can take to make that happen.”

The meeting at the church lasted roughly an hour and 45 minutes. As Vance left, his motorcade rolled past a few dozen protesters, several holding signs saying, “Hate Won’t Make America Great.”

Vance also spoke by phone with one of the children who was wounded, 10-year-old Weston Halsne, who had surgery at Children's on Wednesday to remove a bullet fragment from his neck and was unavailable for an in-person visit, the hospital said.

“The procedure went well, and Weston is expected to make a full physical recovery,” the boy's family said in a statement.

Weston, a 5th grader, didn't realize he was hit at the time. He told reporters after the shots blasted through the windows that he ducked for the pews, covering his head.

“My friend Victor, like, saved me though because he laid on top of me. But he got hit,” he said.

The school has not said when classes will resume or a ceremony will be held to essentially reconsecrate the church so that worship can resume there. The church celebrated its Masses last weekend in the school gym.

Fletcher Merkel’s funeral is set for Sunday at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis, his family said in a statement Wednesday. Harper Moyski’s arrangements have not been announced.

Vice President JD Vance speaks to reporters at Minneapolis-Saint Paul International Airport after paying his respects to victims of the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting in Minneapolis, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. (Alex Wroblewski/Pool via AP)

Protesters gather to demonstrate against gun violence in Minneapolis, Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025, as Vice President JD Vance visits the city a week after a deadly school shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church. (Kerem Yücel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)

Vice President JD Vance and his wife second lady Usha Vance, arrive to pay their respects to victims of the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting in Minneapolis, Minn., Wednesday, Sept. 3, 2025. (Alex Wroblewski/ Pool via AP)

A mother holds her children at the memorial outside Annunciation Catholic Church after Wednesday's shooting, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, in Minneapolis.(AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

A police officer passes a mourner outside Annunciation Catholic Church after Wednesday's shooting at the school, Sunday, Aug. 31, 2025, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Ellen Schmidt)

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — Drake Maye made his first NFL start against the Houston Texans. The New England Patriots' second-year quarterback has come a long way in the 15 months since.

“That feels like, shoot, 10 years ago. It’s been a long journey,” Maye said. “Running out there with the first-snap jitters was pretty cool. It was fun to look back on. We’ll hopefully have a different outcome from (that) game.”

Maye and C.J. Stroud each threw three touchdown passes that day, but Maye also was intercepted twice and sacked four times in the Texans' 41-21 win.

Houston (13-5) and New England (15-3) meet again Sunday, this time with a trip to the AFC championship game at stake.

The Patriots are seeking their first appearance in the title game since the 2018 season, when they went on to win a sixth Super Bowl. The Texans have never made it that far, having lost in the divisional round in each of the past two seasons under third-year coach DeMeco Ryans.

“We’ve been in this position before. I think we’ve learned from those things. Now it’s time to go put it on tape,” Stroud said.

Both teams have exceeded expectations. The Patriots went from worst to first in the AFC East, while the Texans recovered from an 0-3 start and are riding a 10-game winning streak.

It's a matchup of strength against strength. The Patriots averaged an AFC-best 28.8 points per game, and the Texans have the NFL's top-ranked defense.

“I respect how hard they play,” New England coach Mike Vrabel said. “They’re not only talented, but they have a play demeanor that I can appreciate.”

Ryans believes much of the Patriots’ offensive success can be traced to Maye's growth under offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels. He's impressed with how much freedom Maye — the league’s most accurate passer — has been given to run.

“I think he is doing a really good job of not making bad decisions with the football,” Ryans said. “Where he’s taking that next step is his ability to escape the pocket. I think it really doesn’t get talked about much, but his athletic ability, his ability to escape the pocket has been really clutch for them.”

The Texans' top receiver, Pro Bowler Nico Collins, will miss the game after sustaining his second concussion of the season in Monday night's wild-card win at Pittsburgh. Receiver Justin Watson (concussion) was also ruled out on Friday.

Christian Kirk had a big game against the Steelers and the Texans are hoping for a repeat performance. The eight-year veteran set a career high and franchise playoff record with 144 yards receiving.

Kirk had just 239 yards receiving in the regular season.

Houston will also look for rookies Jayden Higgins and Jaylin Noel to pitch in after the college teammates from Iowa State combined for 817 yards receiving and eight touchdowns in the regular season.

The Texans will also try to get tight end Dalton Schultz more involved after he had just 12 yards receiving on Monday night.

“I’m the most confident in everybody in there to get the job done,” Stroud said.

Stroud fumbled just twice in his 14 regular-season games but coughed up the ball five times against the Steelers, two of them leading to turnovers. He also threw an interception.

Stroud hopes to take better care of the ball, but he said mistakes happen against strong opponents in the playoffs and the key is not letting those miscues affect the next play.

“I watched almost all the wild-card games since we played the last game,” Stroud said. “Everybody made mistakes. Everybody had that moment where it was like, ‘Dang, we’re messing this up.’ Then the teams who find a way to fight through that and keep going were the teams that came out on top.”

Stroud also threw for 250 yards and a touchdown as he became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to start and win a playoff game in each of his first three seasons.

One thing Patriots rookie left tackle Will Campbell has learned this season is how to ignore naysayers.

Campbell was criticized on social media after yielding a team-high six pressures and two sacks — including a strip-sack — in the Patriots’ wild-card win over the Chargers. Now he'll face a stiffer challenge against Houston's fearsome defensive ends, All-Pro Will Anderson Jr. and Danielle Hunter.

“I don’t give a (expletive) what anyone says to be honest with you,” Campbell said. “It’s easy to type behind a Twitter account that is fake. I hold myself to the highest expectation of anybody. ... These are the best teams with the best defenses and the best offenses, the best players. They’re in the playoffs for a reason.”

Patriots receiver Stefon Diggs welcomes the chance to shine against the Texans, for whom he played one injury-shortened season.

Diggs was traded by Buffalo to Houston following the 2023 season. He played eight games for the Texans in 2024 before suffering a season-ending knee injury. He then signed with New England and led the team with 85 catches and 1,013 receiving yards.

“He’s very explosive after he catches the football,” Ryans said. “Another guy we’ve got to make sure we have eyes on.”

AP Sports Wrier Kristie Rieken in Houston contributed to this report.

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel on the sidelines in the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Los Angeles Chargers, in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)

Houston Texans head coach DeMeco Ryans, left, stands on the sideline during the first half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Houston Texans, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)

Houston Texans defensive tackle Sheldon Rankins (90) celebrates with cornerback Tremon Smith (11), defensive end Will Anderson Jr. (51) and linebacker E.J. Speed (45) after a touchdown during the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game against the Pittsburgh Steelers, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)

New England Patriots quarterback Drake Maye, left, avoids a tackle by Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Khalil Mack (52) in the second half of an NFL wild-card playoff football game in Foxborough, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Charles Krupa)