Republican Vice Presidential Candidate, JD Vance sympathized with Tim Walz after the Minnesota governor noted during their Vice Presidential Debate that his 17-year-old son had witnessed a shooting in a community center while playing volleyball.

“I didn’t know that your 17-year-old witnessed a shooting,” Vance said. “I’m sorry about that, and I appreciate that. Christ have mercy.”

The exchange came as moderators asked the candidates about the epidemic of gun violence in the United States.

Vance noted that the majority of such violence is committed with illegally obtained firearms, and blamed Harris for border police that had allowed a “massive influx” of illegal guns from Mexico. He also called for improving security at schools: “We’ve got to make the windows stronger … we’ve got to increase school resource officers.”

Walz in response said, “I ask all of you out there, do you want your schools hardened to look like a fort?”

“Is that what we have to do when we know there are countries around the world where their children aren’t practising these types of drills? They’re being kids,” Walz said. “We owe it to them to get a fix.”