The mother of an Annunciation Catholic School shooting victim is a pediatric critical care nurse who rushed to work right after the slaughter — before realizing her own daughter was among those shot.
Sophia Forchas, 12, who is still fighting for her life in the intensive care unit, was one of 14 students injured in the massacre perpetrated by deranged former Annunciation student Robin Westman, who identified as transgender.
Sophia underwent emergency surgery on Wednesday and remains in critical condition, according to a GoFundMe page.
The victim’s mother is a pediatric critical care nurse at Hennepin Healthcare in downtown Minneapolis, where victims of the shooting were rushed to Wednesday morning.
Here’s what we know about the Catholic school shooting in Minneapolis
- Students had begun their first week of school at the Annunciation Catholic School in Minneapolis, Minnesota, two days before the shooting.
- Robin Westman, a 23-year-old trans woman, opened fire through the stained glass windows on Wednesday morning during a celebratory back-to-school Mass filled with children.
- The shooting killed two children and injured at least 17 others, before Westman died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
- Westman had written “kill Donald Trump” and “for the children” on gun magazines, and posted videos of a handwritten manifesto.
- Westman’s mother had worked at the school.
Forchas’ mom fled to the hospital to help survivors — not yet realizing that her daughter was one of the victims, according to the GoFundMe.
The GoFundMe page, which has raised upwards of $300K, described Sophia as “a bright, kind, and full of life young girl.” Her parents are by her side as she recovers.
Start your day with all you need to know
Morning Report delivers the latest news, videos, photos and more.
Thanks for signing up!
Her younger brother was also inside the school during Wednesday’s assault when Westman, who died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound at the scene, opened fire on a back-to-school Mass taking place inside.
“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 experience,” the GoFundMe page read.
Two children were killed and 17 others injured in the shooting that targeted the church school where Westman previously attended and where his mother had worked as a secretary.
Police have yet to determine a motive, but a manifesto Westman posted on YouTube to coincide with the attacks revealed he targeted the school deliberately and had a twisted obsession with school shooters.
Leave a Reply