Name: Girl Shot in Head During Minneapolis Church Attack Is Showing Extraordinary Progress: Family
Uploaded: 2025-09-24T02:50:07.000Z
Description: The family's latest update says there are encouraging signs of improvement to her condition, yet an extensive road to recovery lies ahead.

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A young girl who was shot in the head during last month's deadly attack at a Minneapolis Catholic church is showing extraordinary progress in her recovery, according to her family.

Twelve-year-old Sophia Forchas, the most critically wounded survivor of the Aug. 30 attack at Church of the Annunciation, will transition from intensive care to rehabilitation services this week, her relatives announced. The transition marks a large milestone for a child whose survival once appeared uncertain.

"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 a statement released Monday through Hennepin Healthcare.

The shooting happened during the <a href="https://www.ntd.com/handmade-cards-from-classmates-comfort-a-girl-wounded-in-minneapolis-church-shooting-aunt-says_1088046.html">opening Mass</a> of the new academic year at Annunciation Catholic School, when 23-year-old Robin Westman fired 116 rounds from a rifle through stained-glass windows. The assault resulted in the deaths of two students and injured 21 individuals, primarily children. Westman killed himself after the attack, according to authorities.

A vibrant memorial of flowers and tributes surrounds a sign for Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minn., on Sept. 3, 2025. (Kerem Yucel/Minnesota Public Radio via AP)

Sophia required immediate surgery after a bullet became lodged in her brain, which resulted in extensive trauma including damage to a major blood vessel. Surgeons removed half of her skull to lower dangerous pressure buildup, according to her neurosurgeon, Dr. Walt Galicich.

Coincidentally, Sophia's mother, who works as a nurse at Hennepin Healthcare, was unaware that her daughter had been shot until she arrived at the hospital to help other victims from the attack.

The family's latest update says there are encouraging signs of improvement to her condition, yet an extensive road to recovery lies ahead.

"Though she still has a long journey ahead, filled with extensive therapy, her resilience continues to inspire hope at every step," the statement reads.

Among other survivors, 11-year-old Genevieve Bisek has also shown major improvement since the attack. Initially listed in critical condition, her status was upgraded to satisfactory, her aunt Wanda Stipek said in a statement. Bisek, a sixth-grader who enjoys animals and outdoor activities, has displayed remarkable compassion even while recovering.

"When she did wake up from her sedation after the event, the first thing that she wanted to talk about, she asked about the other children," Stipek said. Bisek told her mother, "I can't say that I wish this wouldn't have happened to me because I don't want it to have happened to anyone else either."

Her hospital room now has a number of handcrafted cards from fellow students, Stipek said, which she described as being decorated with beads and sparkling stars.

"All of these handmade cards are just absolutely adorable and heartfelt. This is coming from other kids who also have their own trauma and yet are still reaching out and showing their love for her," Stipek said.

The local community in response to the horrific attack has made efforts to provide financial and emotional support to the victims, including tying ribbons around neighborhood trees and online donations to support victims of the assault, Stipek said.

"I think sometimes that when something terrible like this happens, you think of the world as a scary and dangerous place full of bad people. But we are very moved by the goodness," she said. "All of those things show love and support, and all of it helps us know that there's goodness out there."

<em>The Associated Press contributed to this report.</em>

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Girl Shot in Head During Minneapolis Church Attack Is Showing Extraordinary Progress: Family

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