The principal of Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, scene of a mass shooting Wednesday in which two were killed and 17 others injured, is a 2004 graduate of Elgin’s St. Edward Central Catholic High School.
Those who know Matthew DeBoer from his time in Elgin say he is the right man to be at the helm following such a tragic event.
“Matt is widely respected by his former peers, coaches and staff members who knew him,” said AnnMarie Woj-Dufelmeir, current principal of St. Edward. “Just about every person you talk to would describe Matt as a really good person and an exceptional leader with a strong faith and moral compass.”
During a news conference following the attack by 23-year-old Robin Westman, DeBoer said teachers and children alike responded heroically.
“Children were ducked down. Adults were protecting children. Older children were protecting younger children,” he said.
“This is a nightmare, but we call our staff the dream team, and we will recover from this,” DeBoer said. “We will rebuild from this.”
The shooting took place outside of the Minneapolis school sometime before 8:30 a.m., according to Minneapolis police. Two children, one 8 years old and the other 10, were killed as they sat in school church pews and and 17 others, including 14 children, were injured.
DeBoer has been described as having a presence in high school and was known to have strong moral values and to lead by example. As a young man, he was involved in athletics and in the ministry as a retreat leader and was an Eagle of the Cross honoree.
“This is a special St. Edward award for students with devout Catholic faith who lead by example and through action, clubs and a high academic achievement at St. Edward,” Woj-Dufelmeir said.
DeBoer graduated from St. Laurence Elementary School in 2000, and the DeBoer family has a long history with St. Edward, she said. Matthew’s grandfather, Dennis DeBoer, was the St. Edward alumnus of the year in 2005.
“I actually babysat Matt and his brother and sister growing up,” Woj-Dufelmeir said. “I was six years older and also attended St. Laurence and St. Edward. We lived near each other and I have such fond memories of their family and especially Matt’s grandfather.
“It’s so hard to believe Matt is leading a community through this tragedy. His work in education over the years has been admirable. He will rise to the challenge once again and lean on his faith. I hope our prayers and gestures help in some small way.”
Woj-Dufelmeir said she had reached out to DeBoer and knew that at least one faculty member and one fellow graduate had done the same. The high school expressed support for the Annunciation community in a post on social media.
One high school friend, Val Fox, now lives in San Francisco. While they haven’t stayed in touch, there were just 94 students in their graduation class and the guy he remembered as a kind, compassionate and scholarly student was the same person he saw speaking at the news conference.
“He was someone I looked up to in high school,” Fox said. “He’s an admirable human being. When I heard him talk on TV after what happened, it reminded me of the Matt that I knew.”
Current St. Edward students are engaging in a school-wide project to show solidarity with DeBoer and the Annunciation community. Details are being finalized, but it will relate to this year’s school theme, “a future filled with hope,” Woj-Dufelmeir said.
“We will be holding a prayer service and reaching out to St. Edward alumni, faculty and coaches to share their messages with Matt and his community, which will be printed and mailed to Annunciation next week,” she said.
Any alumni or DeBoer friend who would like to send in a letter of support to DeBoer should email it to mainoffice@stedhs.org by Wednesday, Sept. 3.
The Associated Press contributed.
Mike Danahey is a freelance report for The Courier-News.
