Minneapolis — A 12 year old girl Who was shot in the head during a Deadly attack At a Minneapolis Catholic church in August, she was discharged from the hospital on Thursday and was greeted with cheers as the police chief drove her around the city in a stretch limousine. Minneapolis Star Tribune.
Sofia Fourchas was the most seriously injured child among those injured He survived the shooting in Church of the Annunciation. A gunman fired his rifle through the church windows on August 27, striking some of about 200 children celebrating Mass during the first week of school, killing two and wounding 17 people. The two deceased children were 8 and 10 years old.
Forchase was rushed into surgery. Neurosurgeon Dr. Walt Galich said a bullet lodged in her brain, causing severe damage, including major blood vessels. Surgeons had to remove the left half of her skull to relieve pressure inside her head. At a press conference on September 5, Galic expressed concern that Forchas would become “the third killer in this event.”
The man hugged her as she left Hennepin County Medical Center, while many others were outside holding signs and waving, the Star Tribune reported.
Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara, who accompanied Forthas around the city, called her return home “nothing short of a miracle.”
She was greeted back with warm applause and lots of hugs as they pulled into her school parking lot.
Her parents, Amy and Tom Forchase, said in a statement that they were grateful to the medical professionals who saved their daughter’s life. They described her return home on Thursday as “one of the most extraordinary days of our lives.”
Her recovery journey will continue with outpatient treatment, and she still has a long road to recovery, her parents said, adding that they are excited to see the daily improvements in her speech, her ability to walk and her “personality to shine again.”
Another child who suffered a brain injury as a result of the shooting, Lydia Kaiser, 12, was similarly celebrated when she returned to school last week, according to an online fundraising page started to support her family. Kaiser also underwent surgeries to remove a bullet fragment and relieve pressure inside her head.