A 12-year-old girl was among 20 people shot during a deadly attack at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis Wednesday.
Family members describe Sophia Forchas as a “bright, kind and full-of-life young girl who is now fighting for her life” after she was seriously wounded Wednesday during a morning Mass that she attended with her Annunciation Catholic School classmates.
Sophia’s family and friends have organized a GoFundMe account sharing her story, including the heart-wrenching details that her mother, who works as a pediatric critical care nurse, arrived at work on Wednesday “before knowing it was her children’s school that was attacked, and that her daughter was critically injured,” the GoFundMe post explains.
Sophia has a younger brother who was inside the school while the shooting took place, but he was unharmed, the family shared on the GoFundMe page.
“Her parents are by her side, holding onto hope while also trying to support their son through the emotional aftermath,” the GoFundMe post says. “The financial strain is enormous: ongoing ICU care, future surgeries, trauma counseling, lost income, travel, and the countless unknowns that lie ahead.”
Donors to the fund have committed more than $270,000 as of Wednesday afternoon, just 24 hours after the horrific shooting.
Sophia is in “critical condition in the ICU. She has already undergone emergency surgery, and her medical team is doing everything they can to stabilize her. Her road ahead will be long, uncertain, and incredibly difficult — but she is strong, and she is not alone,” the GoFundMe says.
Sophia was one of 17 children shot during the attack. Two of the children, ages 8 and 10, have died. Others injured include three adults. Police say the shooter took his own life.
The Annunciation community and the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis are continuing to offer opportunities for the community to come together in prayer and support the victims, their loved ones and the school children and staff impacted by the attack.
The Cathedral of St. Paul held a noon service, and the Basilica of St. Mary in downtown Minneapolis will hold a 5:30 p.m. prayer service, both dedicated to the Annunciation community.
The archdiocese has created a landing page dedicated to the Annunciation church and school community, where it encouraged people to “watch for additional ways to support Annunciation” in the coming days. An Annunciation Hope and Healing Fund has also been launched to support the victims.
Hank Long
Hank Long is a journalism and communications professional whose writing career includes coverage of the Minnesota legislature, city and county governments and the commercial real estate industry. Hank received his undergraduate degree at the University of Minnesota, where he studied journalism, and his law degree at the University of St. Thomas. The Minnesota native lives in the Twin Cities with his wife and four children. His dream is to be around when the Vikings win the Super Bowl.
