As victims of the Minneapolis school shooting arrived at Hennepin Healthcare, one ICU nurse faced a devastating shock — her own 12-year-old daughter, Sophia Forchas, was among the critically injured.
On August 27, 23-year-old Robin Westman, a former student of Annunciation Catholic School, opened fire through the church’s stained glass windows during morning mass before taking her own life. Two children — Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10 — were killed, and 18 others were injured, including elderly parishioners.
Sophia, a seventh-grader, was rushed into emergency surgery. Her younger brother Anthony, also at the school, was physically unharmed but deeply traumatized.
Sophia’s mother, a pediatric ICU nurse, had rushed to work unaware the shooting involved her daughter’s school — or that Sophia was one of the victims.
“She arrived at work to help during the tragedy before knowing her daughter was critically injured,” the family’s GoFundMe explains. It has since raised over $680,000.
Sophia remains in critical condition, with her medical team working tirelessly. Her recovery will be long and uncertain, but her family says she is strong — and not alone.