Minneapolis victim Endre Gunte, 13, who asked surgeon to 'pray with me' raises $150K on GoFundMe

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA: A Minneapolis shooting victim, 13-year-old Endre Gunte, has collected more than $158,000 in donations after the Annunciation Catholic School 8th grader was wounded in the Wednesday, August 27, shooting during a morning mass.

Robin Westman, a 23-year-old transgender person, opened fire on the Minnesota Catholic school, killing two children and wounding 18 others. Police said 14 of the injured were children, ranging from 6 to 15 years old.

Donations pour in to help 13-year-old Minneapolis shooting victim

Endre Gunte's aunt, Natalie Davis, set up a GoFundMe page for him with the title "Stand with Endre: Overcoming Tragedy Together."

"My 13-year-old nephew, Endre, was tragically shot twice while he attended mass at Annunciation Church with his school. It's impossible to make sense of this act of violence against children, in a place that should have been a sanctuary of peace and safety," Davis wrote.

She added that in the face of unimaginable fear and pain, Endre showed strength and faith beyond his age.

Endre Gunte asked his surgeon 'Can you say a prayer with me?'

"Before he was rushed into surgery, Endre looked at the surgeon and asked one simple, powerful request, 'Can you say a prayer with me?'" Gunte's aunt wrote in the GoFundMe post.

She further mentioned, "The surgeon later told us that not only did Endre survive the surgery, he fought through a terrifying event with courage that inspired the entire medical team. That moment of prayer, and Endre's resilience, will stay with our family forever."

Giving an update on Endre's condition, she mentioned, "Right now, he is recovering from surgery at the hospital, surrounded by his loved ones and the best medical team possible. While the road ahead is long, we are beyond grateful he is still with us. The emotional and physical healing ahead will take time and resources."

"We are raising funds to help with Endre's medical bills, rehabilitation, trauma counseling, and support for his immediate family as they will remain by his side every step of the way," she wrote.

Davis also mentioned, "We want to extend our deepest prayers and love to the other victims and families impacted by this horrific tragedy. We are holding them all close to our hearts as we navigate this together."

At the time of filing this story, the donation amount has reached $158,189 — the goal is $180,000.

Transwoman Robin Westman had 'deranged fascination with mass shootings'

Police revealed that Westman had a "deranged fascination with mass shootings" and "demonstrated hatred" toward countless groups and individuals.

Minneapolis Chief of Police Brian O'Hara said at a press conference on Thursday that the shooter wanted to "achieve notoriety."

The police chief also announced an increased police presence at schools and houses of worship in the city.

Acting US Attorney for Minnesota Joseph Thompson told reporters that the investigation into Wednesday's mass shooting is "two-fold."

He added that they're probing the shooter, who "acted alone," and are also investigating the motive by going through hundreds of pages of Westman's writings.

Thompson said, "The shooter expressed hate toward almost every group imaginable," while listing Black people, Mexicans, and Jews among the groups mentioned in Westman's writings.

He added, "The only one group he didn't hate: the school shooters and mass murderers. The shooter's heart was full of hate."