“Miracles do happen”: Community celebrates as Annunciation Catholic School shooting survivor Sophia Forchas welcomed home by classmates

Sophia Forchas, a 12-year-old who survived, after 57 challenging days in the hospital finally was at home again. She had been shot in the head at Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, where she was one of the survivors.

Sophia was cheered on by dozens of people with balloons and tears on Thursday when she came home via police motorcade in a white limousine and drove through Minneapolis.

The incident on August 27, that happened during morning prayer in the Church of Annunciation, killed two students, ages eight and 10, and injured 20 more.

The traumatizing event devastated the community of Minneapolis, as students talked about diving under pews for safety when the shooter fired through the stained glass windows.

Sophia's younger brother, who was with her that day, was not injured, their mother, a pediatric critical care nurse, was still at Hennepin County Medical Center and unaware of the attack on their children’s school at that time.

Although Sophia is still recovering and engaged in outpatient therapy, her coming home has served as a beacon of hope and strength for a community that is still healing from loss.

"So happy she’s back. Miracles do happen," one X user wrote.

So happy she’s back. Miracles do happen.

— Burma Powell (@BurmaPowell) October 24, 2025

"Idk about miraculous recoveries but i do know that doctors are pretty bad at predicting stuff anyway. guess you could say sophia's got a few angels on speed dial," another added.

"Sophia’s recovery is indeed a powerful testament to the power of prayer and God’s mercy. Stories like hers remind us that even in the darkest moments, hope and healing are possible," said a user.

People also praised Sophia Forchas' will power and her desire to live:

"I am amazed at her stability, smile and awareness. TBI is life altering, and can be very debilitating," a user remarked.

"What a beautiful thing to see. I’m so glad she pulled through it all," commented another.

More about Sophia Forchas' health struggles and recovery as her family addresses the immense support by the community

Sophia sustained catastrophic injuries. In order to relieve the swelling in her brain, the surgeons had no choice but to remove part of her skull. For many weeks, her condition was said to be “critical,” and her family feared the worst.

Then, against all odds, Sophia started to recover, she began to breathe on her own, then speak, and then walk with assistance.

By late September, her family deemed her recovery “miraculous,” attributing it to her grit, the capabilities of her medical team and the power of god.

MN NEUROSURGEON: If you had told me 10 days ago that Sophia Forchas would still be here with any ray of hope, I'd have told you it would take a miraclepic.twitter.com/T088X8VPwR

— Jack Posobiec (@JackPosobiec) September 5, 2025

Sophia’s parents, Tom and Amy Forchas, relayed their heartfelt appreciation to the doctors, nurses, and therapists that worked with their daughter in a message on the family’s GoFundMe page, along with gratitude to the community for the prayers and support.

"Those prayers came from family, friends, and countless souls around the world; many of whom have never met Sophia, yet lifted her spirit with unconditional love. Your prayers have been a wellspring of comfort, hope, and healing for our entire family," they wrote on the GoFundMe page established to aid the family.

On October 23, Sophia was discharged from Gillette Children’s Hospital, where she had been receiving rehabilitation.

Her first stop was at Hennepin Healthcare, where she met with the first responders and doctors who had provided care for her immediately following the shooting.

Photos posted online show hospital staff holding a sign that says, “Sophia Strong,” as they cheered and embraced the survivor.