12-Year-Old Shot In Head At Catholic School Inspires Hope Amid ‘Miraculous’ Healing
Sophia Forchas, 12, shows neurological improvement and is preparing to enter inpatient rehabilitation after a Minnesota school shooting left two children dead and several injured.
A 12-year-old girl wounded in the Aug. 27 shooting at Annunciation Catholic School in Minnesota is moving from intensive care toward inpatient rehabilitation after showing a "miraculous" recovery, her family said Monday.
Sophia Forchas, a seventh-grader, was among several other children and parishioners injured in the attack that killed 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel and 10-year-old Harper Moyski. She underwent emergency surgery after being shot in the left temporal lobe, a procedure that required removing part of the left side of her skull to give her brain room to swell, according to doctors earlier this month.
In a statement released Monday, the family said Sophia is showing promising signs of neurological recovery and is being prepared to transition from acute care to an inpatient rehabilitation program, but that she still has a long journey ahead with extensive therapy. "Your prayers have been powerful. Sophia surviving this horrific attack is a miracle. Her healing progress is nothing short of miraculous," the family wrote.
The family also noted that her younger brother was inside the school during the shooting but was not physically harmed. A fundraiser has been launched to offset medical expenses, the family said.
According to Everytown for Gun Safety, an average of 4,320 children and teens are killed by guns each year, with about 65% of those deaths classified as homicides. In Minnesota, gun fatalities average roughly 527 people per year, the group says.
As Sophia prepares to begin an extended period of rehabilitation, her family asked supporters to keep praying as she continues to work with therapists to regain motor and cognitive function.
Community reaction has centered on the resilience shown by Sophia and the ongoing need for resources to support medical care and recovery. The family underscored that, while this marks a hopeful turn, the road ahead will require sustained therapy and medical attention as Sophia works to rebuild functions affected by the injury.