Fox News correspondent Alicia Acuna got the assignment Wednesday that no reporter ever wants: She was sent to cover a shooting at her own children’s school.
Acuna rushed to Denver’s East High School after two administrators were shot by a male student, Mediaite reported.
Acuna quickly confirmed that her son, stepsons and niece were all unharmed as she rushed to the assignment, according to the report.
For most of the broadcast, you’d never know that this was not just another news assignment for Acuna, who is Fox’s senior correspondent based in the network’s Denver bureau, according to the Fox website.
Aside from blinking hard a few times — possibly holding back tears — her voice and demeanor were professional as she discussed the hunt for the gunman and reviewed a statement from the governor.
But then, right there in the middle of the live broadcast, Acuna stopped being a reporter, just for a moment, and became a concerned mom as she saw her son walking up to her.
“I’m sorry,” she apologized to her colleagues and audience, “I have not seen my kid since this all went down.”
A tall, dark-haired teen approached Acuna and wrapped her in a big bear hug. “You good?” she asked, looking quickly into his eyes. Once reassured, she quickly turned back to the camera.
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“I’m so sorry,” she apologized again, and resumed the broadcast. “There’s no way you would have let your kid walk by.”
“He’s OK. He’s good.”
The incident was also reported on The Hill and was discussed on social media.
Moments later, Fox’s @AAcuna1 stops to hug her son after a shooting at his Denver high school earlier today
This was just after saying she & her husband are thinking of transferring him & stepsons out of Denver Public Schools where two shootings have happened in 2023 pic.twitter.com/eTKP1YfFEO
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) March 22, 2023
An earlier post indicated that Acuna’s son had sat next to a student who had been fatally shot at the school in February.
Fox’s @AAcuna1 reveals the student fatally shot in February at the school (where today’s shooting happened) sat next to her son in class: “The students…have been rocked by that…It’s been a tough school year.”
She adds the pat downs took place next to the auditorium. pic.twitter.com/GlVQ2tF5kU
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) March 22, 2023
Colorado Springs station KKTV reported that the shooting occurred in the school office and that the two who were shot were high school deans carrying out a pre-arranged “pat-down” on the student.
“This particular student actually had a safety plan that was in place where they were to be searched at the beginning of the school day every day,” Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas said, according to the report.
“They had been searched previously to today and never had a weapon on them before; however, today during that search, which took place away from other students, away from other school staff, they produced a weapon and fired shots.”
Denver Mayor Michael Hancock told the station that “[f]or an unrelated situation, paramedics were in the building when the shooting occurred, and they were able to immediately administer support and treatment to the individuals who are wounded, and I think that will play a huge role in their ultimate recovery.”
The shooting victims are both men, CBS News reported.
One was reported to be in critical condition, and one was in serious but stable condition Wednesday afternoon.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.