Girl shot in the head in Minneapolis church attack is making ‘miraculous’ progress, family says

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A 12-year-old girl shot in the head during the deadly attack at a Catholic church in Minneapolis less than a month ago is making “miraculous” progress, her family said in a statement.

Sophia Forchas, who was the most seriously wounded child among those who survived the shooting at the Church of the Annunciation, will move this week from acute care to an inpatient rehabilitation program, her family said.

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While her medical team remains cautiously optimistic, the family said Sophia shows signs of neurological recovery just weeks after doctors were unsure whether she would survive.

“Sophia is strong, brave, and unwavering in her fight toward healing. We ask that you continue to pray for her as she walks this road to recovery. It is by God’s will that she has come this far,” her family said in the statement released Monday by Hennepin Healthcare, where she is undergoing care.

Sophia and her classmates at Annunciation Catholic School were celebrating the first Mass of the new school year when a shooter opened fire through a window, killing two students and wounding 21 people. The shooter died by suicide, police said.

Sophia’s mother, a nurse at Hennepin Healthcare, did not know she had been shot until after she arrived at work to help treat the shooting victims.

Sophia underwent emergency surgery. Her neurosurgeon, Dr. Walt Galicich, said a bullet lodged in her brain, causing severe damage, including to a major blood vessel. Surgeons had to remove the left half of her skull to relieve the pressure inside her head.

“Though she still has a long journey ahead, filled with extensive therapy, her resilience continues to inspire hope at every step,” her family said.