It was one of those rare, quiet moments in a high-stakes political debate where the armor actually cracks. During the 2024 vice presidential showdown, Tim Walz dropped a personal bombshell that stopped the room. He mentioned his son, Gus. He said the teenager had witnessed a shooting.
People immediately started Googling. Was it true? When? Where?
The short answer: Yes. But the details are a bit more nuanced than just "seeing a gun go off."
The day at Jimmy Lee Recreation Center
On January 18, 2023, Gus Walz was doing what thousands of Minnesota kids do every winter. He was at a community center. Specifically, the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center in St. Paul. He was there for volleyball practice.
The rec center isn't some remote facility; it’s a hub, a place where kids go to be safe. But that afternoon, things went sideways. A 26-year-old employee of the center, Exavir Dwayne Binford Jr., got into a confrontation outside with a 16-year-old boy.
It started as an argument. Then it turned into a scuffle. Then Binford pulled a gun.
He shot the 16-year-old in the head.
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Where was Gus Walz?
Gus wasn't standing on the sidewalk next to the shooter. He was inside the building. But "inside" doesn't mean "unaffected." When the shot rang out, the gym went into chaos.
His coach, David Albornoz, later shared some pretty heavy details about what happened inside those walls. Albornoz had to rush out to help the victim. He ended up with blood on his hands from performing first aid. When he came back in, he saw Gus stepping up.
The Governor’s son wasn't just a bystander; he was helping.
He was essentially herding the younger kids—some just little children—to safety. Walz mentioned in a later interview that Gus shuffled kids under the bleachers and then eventually toward the pool area to keep them away from the windows.
The "witness" distinction
When we ask did Walz son witness a shooting, we usually mean "did he see the muzzle flash?"
Technically, no. He didn't see the trigger pull.
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However, he witnessed the immediate, violent aftermath. He saw his coach covered in blood. He heard the shots. He lived through the lockdown, the screaming, and the terror of not knowing if a shooter was coming through the gym doors next. For a 16-year-old—which is how old Gus was at the time—that's more than enough to qualify as witnessing a traumatic event.
Honestly, anyone who’s been in a building during a shooting knows the "witness" label isn't just about eyesight. It’s about the ears and the nervous system.
The aftermath for the shooter and the victim
The shooter, Binford, eventually pleaded guilty to first-degree assault. He got 10 years in prison.
The victim, J.T. (JuVaughn Turner), survived, but "survived" is a heavy word here. He had to have a portion of his skull removed. He deals with seizures. His life was permanently altered over a parking lot argument.
Why this story surfaced so late
You’d think a Governor’s son being at a shooting would be front-page news the next day. It wasn't.
At the time, the St. Paul police and the Governor’s office kept Gus’s name out of the official reports. They wanted to protect his privacy. It only became a national talking point after Gus went viral for his emotional reaction to his dad’s speech at the Democratic National Convention.
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Once the world knew Gus, his coach felt comfortable sharing the story of his bravery that day at the gym.
Traumatic impact on the Walz family
Tim Walz has been pretty open about how this changed his perspective on gun laws. He was once an NRA-endorsed hunter. Now? Not so much.
He’s talked about how those things "don't leave you." He mentioned that even a year later, Gus was still processing what happened. It’s a common story in America, but it hits differently when it's your own kid hiding under the bleachers.
What you should take away
If you’re looking for the "gotcha" moment, there isn't one. The story checks out. Gus Walz was at the Jimmy Lee Recreation Center during a real, violent shooting. He played a role in keeping other children calm while a teenager was being shot just outside the doors.
If you are following this story for its impact on policy or just out of curiosity about the family, here are a few things to keep in mind:
- Check the location: The Jimmy Lee Recreation Center is a real place with a documented history of this event.
- Look at the court records: Exavir Binford Jr.’s sentencing is public record.
- Understand the context: "Witnessing" in this case refers to the experience of the event and the immediate aftermath, not necessarily seeing the bullet leave the chamber.
Knowing the facts helps cut through the political noise. Whether you agree with Tim Walz's politics or not, the incident at the rec center was a documented tragedy that Gus Walz was undeniably part of.
If you're researching the impact of community violence on youth, looking into "Healing Circles" or local St. Paul trauma resources provides a deeper look at how that specific community tried to move forward after the January 2023 event.