CNN Anchor Chokes Up At Interview With 2nd-Grade School Shooting Survivor

CNN anchor Laura Coates choked up as she played back the network’s interview with a second-grade student from Abundant Life Christian School in Wisconsin speaking about her experience during Monday’s school shooting.

A teenage student opened fire in what is reported to be a premeditated attack at the school in Madison, Wisconsin, killing a teacher and another teenage student. The shooter also died, police said.

At a press conference, Madison Police Chief Shon Barnes said a second-grade student called 911 to report the attack.

On Monday night, Coates played back interviews with two students. One sixth-grader explained how the teachers escorted the children to safety in an attempt to protect them.

“Just a sixth grader,” the host said. “I have a sixth grader, and I can’t imagine what their parents are thinking about this evening. Trying to process any of this.”

Coates then played back a further clip of the second-grade child sharing her experience while holding a popsicle.

The girl said: “I was getting ready for lunch, so it was basically lunch time. And then I just heard sobbing and there was a teacher and she was screaming like, ‘Oh my leg! Help, help!’… I was really scared. And I was really sad this little girl with a popsicle.

“This little girl,” Coates commented, her voice breaking.

“You can imagine someone trying to give that to her. To try to give some comfort of what she must have seen and heard,” the host continued. “She was asked about how she’s feeling about all the other kids from her school, and she says she wants them to have happiness.”

Showing a chart on-screen, Coates added: “Do you realize this is the 83rd school shooting this year? 83. In this chart, it tells the story. It’s the most in a single year since CNN began even tracking them, surpassing 2023, which surpassed 2022, which surpassed 2021. It’s an upward trend going back more than a decade.”

Watch above on CNN.