When shots rang out at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, one family had no idea just how much their lives would change. Although neither of their children was among the ones who lost their lives, one of them was critically injured. The mom, who is a pediatric ICU nurse, was working and unaware that soon her daughter would become a patient at the same hospital. Now, the family is sitting by her bedside, waiting to see what will happen, and their community is coming together to support them during this time.
A GoFundMe account has been set up for the Forchas family, whose 12-year-old daughter Sophia is a seventh-grade student at the school. On August 27, 2025, the girl, described as “bright, kind, and full of life,” was shot during the incident. She is now in the ICU in critical condition.
“She has already undergone emergency surgery, and her medical team is doing everything they can to stabilize her,” the fundraiser reads. “Her road ahead will be long, uncertain, and incredibly difficult — but she is strong, and she is not alone.”
Sophia’s mom is a pediatric ICU nurse who showed up to work to help during the school shooting. When she arrived at the hospital, she was unaware that the school was the same one her children attend. The mom also had no idea her daughter had been injured.
There is also another child in the family, a young boy. “Though he was physically unharmed, the trauma of witnessing such a terrifying event — and knowing his sister was critically injured — is something no child should ever experience,” the GoFundMe page read.
Now, the family is facing an uncertain road. While Sophia undergoes surgeries, her parents will remain by her side, but they also have a younger child who needs emotional support. The fundraiser, which is well on the way to reaching its goal, aims to raise $620,000 to cover expenses including “ongoing ICU care, future surgeries, trauma counseling, lost income, travel, and the countless unknowns that lie ahead.”
The Rev. Timothy Sas of St. Mary’s Greek Orthodox Church, which the Forchas family attends, released a statement about Sophia and her family. He said he had “spent a good portion of the day” with the family at the hospital while Sophia was in surgery.
“Sophia was born and raised in our St. Mary’s parish, immersed in the life of the Church together with her extended family of several generations who are devoted members of our congregation,” he shared in the statement. “Sophia’s family and I are truly thankful for the immediate embrace of prayers coming from literally all parts of the world.”
