WASHINGTON (TNND) — A fifth grader from Minneapolis received the Citizen Honor Award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society.

Victor Greenawalt jumped in front of his friend during a mass shooting at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis.

Weston Halsne told local station KARE 11 that Greenawalt saved his life.

“It was really scary,” Halsne told KARE 11. “My friend Victor, like, saved me, though. Because he laid on top of me. But he got hit.”

Two students were killed and several were injured after a shooter opened fire through the windows of the church last year. The shooter died on the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

The Congressional Medal Society said in a statement that Greenawalt showed “extraordinary bravery far beyond his years.”

“Instinctively, Victor protected a classmate with his own body, directly saving their life during the attack,” the society said in a written statement. “His courage and selflessness became a powerful symbol of hope and humanity for a community in crisis.”

Greenawalt was hospitalized following the shooting, according to a verified GoFundMe page. His sister was also injured.

He flew to Washington with his family on Wednesday to accept the award.

Greeenawalt met with Sens. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Sen. Tina Smith, D-Minn., while on Capitol Hill. The ceremony also included a wreath-laying at Arlington National Cemetery.

He received the Young Hero award, which honors individuals age 17 or younger for their courage.

A boy from Minneapolis received an award from the Congressional Medal of Honor Society on Wednesday, March 25, for shielding a classmate with his body during a mass shooting at the Annunciation Catholic Church and School last summer, officials said.

Victor Greenawalt was one of six honorees, including five people and a non-profit organization, for this year’s National Medal of Honor Day, according to the Medal of Honor Society. The six recipients were recognized with a Citizen Honor Award for their “extraordinary acts of heroism and service within their communities,” a news release states.

The Medal of Honor Society named Victor as the 2026 Young Hero Honoree for demonstrating “extraordinary bravery far beyond his years” during the Annunciation Catholic Church and School shooting on Aug. 27, 2025. The award honors Americans 17 years old or younger “for their courage in a dire situation,” according to the Medal of Honor Society’s website.

“Instinctively, Victor protected a classmate with his own body, directly saving their life during the attack,” the Medal of Honor Society said in the news release. “His courage and selflessness became a powerful symbol of hope and humanity for a community in crisis.”

The award was presented by the Medal of Honor Society, a congressionally chartered, non-profit organization comprised of the 64 living Medal of Honor recipients, during a ceremony at the Andrew W. Mellon Auditorium in Washington, DC.

‘Leaped in front of gunfire to protect his friend’

Victor and his sister were injured when a shooter fired through the windows of the Annunciation Catholic Church toward young students worshipping at Mass, according to a GoFundMe page. In a statement on social media, Sen. Amy Klobuchar said Victor “leaped in front of gunfire to protect his friend during the tragic mass shooting.”

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. . .because you have. . .but the National Football League’s biggest off-season event could be coming to the Twin Cities in the very near future.

According to the Minnesota Vikings’ official website, Minnesota Sports and Events has announced that it has officially submitted a bid to host the 2028 NFL Draft in partnership with the Vikings and U.S. Bank Stadium.

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While the Vikings’ home stadium would almost certainly serve as the anchor for the event, Matt Meunier, the Executive Vice President of Business Development and Tourism for Minnesota Sports and Events, envisions the event as having a truly regional feel.

“In terms of the location of the draft, the red carpet and all the ancillary events that go with hosting the draft, all those things are under evaluation by the league right now, so it’s to be determined, but what we can say is TCO Performance Center is a really viable option,” Meunier said. “Flag football, youth football is going to continue to be more prominent as it relates to the NFL and leaning into 2028 and the L.A. [Olympic] Games, so there’s potential to stage some youth football and community legacy events out at TCO Performance Center, but in addition to that, every event Minnesota Sports and Events hosts, we’re really intentional about staging events throughout the region and not just downtown [Minneapolis].”

Should the Twin Cities be selected for the event, it would complete the cycle of all four NFC North cities serving as host since the Draft moved away from being held in New York City every year. Chicago hosted the Draft in both 2015 and 2016, Detroit served as host in 2024, and the Draft was held in Green Bay last year.

This year’s NFL Draft will be held next month in Pittsburgh, while Washington, D.C. will play host to the 2027 NFL Draft.

As the article from the Vikings’ website notes, the draft in Detroit brought in fans from all 50 states and 20 foreign countries, generating an economic impact of over $200 million for the greater Detroit area. Surely Minneapolis/St. Paul can do better than that, right?

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Right?

It is unknown when the announcement of where the 2028 NFL Draft will be hosted will be made or which other cities are competing for the opportunity, but hopefully the Twin Cities will get their opportunity to serve as host.