SMILES AND HUGS: The last hospitalized Annunciation shooting victim goes home

Twelve-year-old Sophia Forchase was released from the hospital Thursday, nearly two months after she was shot in the head at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis on Aug. 27. She is the last victim of the mass shooting to be released from the hospital.

She was joined by her father, Tom Forchase, as they exited a limousine at HCMC to visit staff there after she was discharged from Gillette Children’s Hospital. Sofia wore a blue tracksuit with a blue St. Paul Saints. They were greeted by a cheering crowd and many hugs and gifts.

Catholic Spirit, the news outlet for the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, shared a video of Sophia exiting the limousine, walking, smiling, nodding and hugging people.

Dr. Walt Galich, chief of neurosurgery at Hennepin Healthcare who led Forchase’s care at HCMC, was among the crowd and embraced her and her father.

During the shooting, a bullet lodged in Sophia’s brain, causing critical vascular injury, and she was placed in a medically induced coma and had part of her skull removed to accommodate brain swelling.

During a news conference on Sept. 5, Galic, chief of neurosurgery at Hennepin Healthcare, said he wasn’t sure “how this is going to end” but despite being in critical condition… She was showing signs of a possible recovery.

“We’ve seen a lot of cases, especially in young brains, where the swelling is quite delayed and can get worse over time,” he said. “We’re starting to step out of that worrying window, but we’re not out of it yet.”

On Sept. 11, a Hennepin Healthcare spokesperson said Sophia was in “serious” condition, which was considered an improvement. Then, on September 22, I moved to an inpatient rehabilitation program At Gillette Children’s Hospital in St. Paul.

Fletcher Merkel and Harper Moysky died in the mass shooting, and 30 other people were injured, including Sophia. Eighth-grader Lydia Kaiser, who was also shot in the head, has been released as of September 6.

Vorchas will turn 13 on October 25.

A verified GoFundMe for Sophia and her family It has raised more than $1.1 million as of Thursday.