A 12-year-old girl, who suffered a gunshot wound to the head during the August shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, has been discharged from the hospital. Her parents attribute her remarkable recovery to what they describe as the “miraculous power of prayer.”

Sophia Forchas was critically injured when a gunman opened fire on August 27. Following the incident, she was immediately taken to a nearby hospital where she underwent emergency surgery. During the procedure, doctors removed a portion of her skull to alleviate swelling, and she was subsequently placed in a medically induced coma, as reported by FOX 9.

On Thursday, a large group of supporters gathered outside Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC) to welcome Forchas. She had been receiving treatment at HCMC and later continued her recovery with rehabilitation sessions at Gillette Children’s.

Sophia Forchas, accompanied by her father Tom Forchas, received a warm welcome from well-wishers outside HCMC on Thursday, October 23, 2025, in Minneapolis. The heartfelt scene was captured by The Catholic Spirit via the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

Sophia’s parents expressed their joy and relief, describing her release as “one of the most extraordinary days of our lives.”

“Our beloved daughter, Sophia, is coming home!!” they wrote on a GoFundMe page set up to raise funds for her recovery. The page has generated nearly $1.2 million in donations.

“We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the remarkable medical professionals whose skill, compassion, and unwavering dedication brought us to this moment,” her parents wrote.

They thanked doctors and rehabilitation teams at HCMC and Gillette Children’s Hospital and said Sophia is now walking, swimming and “even dribbling a basketball.”

Sophia Forchas, center, poses with members of her care and rehabilitation team outside an ambulance after being discharged from Gillette Children’s Hospital on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2025, in St. Paul, Minnesota. (GoFundMe)

“Each step she takes is a living testament to the boundless grace of God and the miraculous power of prayer,” the couple said.

The Forchas family also offered prayers for those killed and injured in the Aug. 27 shooting, writing, “May their memory be eternal.”

Two children, Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moyski, were killed in the mass shooting and 18 people — 15 of them children — were injured.

Sophia’s mother is a pediatric critical care nurse who was at work at Hennepin Healthcare when she discovered that her daughter was among the injured, according to The Associated Press.

Forchas’ brother was also inside the school during the shooting but was not injured, her parents said.

Sophia Forchas, right, was shot in the head during the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Forchas Family)

The alleged gunman, Robin Westman, formerly Robert Westman, opened fire from outside the school at around 10 a.m., moments after students had gathered for mass, and many children were in the pews.

The horror unfolded for about 10 minutes before Westman, who was transgender, killed himself with his own weapon, police said.