Minnesota school shooting survivors find strength in friends

Sibilings Pablo and Pilar Maldonado share how faith, friends and family are helping them heal after surviving the deadly Annunciation Catholic Church school shooting

MINNEAPOLIS — A family is finding strength in their community as their two children, who survived a mass shooting that killed two classmates and injured 21 others at Annunciation Catholic School, begin the long process of healing.

Carla and Pedro Maldonado live just blocks from their children’s school and were among the first to arrive after a shooter opened fire during the school’s morning Mass on Wednesday. They searched for their own children — Pilar, 7, and Pablo, 11 — while reaching out to other parents to let them know their kids were safe.

“Probably the worst 20 minutes in my life,” Pedro Maldonado told NBC News on Sunday. “The desperation only a parent can experience in these cases, terrible. And at the same time, trying to help the other kids that are desperate.”

Carla Maldonado says she’s taking life one hour at a time, focusing on ensuring her family’s most basic needs are met. An experienced trauma therapist, she says she’s also prioritizing their emotional recovery.

The past few days have been defined by togetherness, she added, saying the best healing her kids can experience is time with their friends.