The surgeon of 12-year-old Sophia Forchas, one of the 18 children injured in the shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis, says she is still in critical condition 10 days after the attack, and that a bullet remains lodged in her brain.

According to an online fundraiser organized by her family, Forchas was shot during a Mass packed with young students on Aug. 27. 

Dr. Walt Galicich, a neurosurgeon with Hennepin Healthcare, said in a news conference on Friday that while she is critical, her condition was "trending in the right direction."

"There's a chance that she may be the third fatality of this event, but the door has been opened a little bit, and there's some rays of hope shining through," Galicich said.

He added that she was shot on the left side of her head, and that the bullet remained lodged "in the right occipital lobe" of her brain on Friday. There are no plans in place to remove the bullet. 

"There is no benefit to taking it out at this juncture. It would not improve her recovery, and actually could be harmful to try to remove it because you'd have to go through normal brain to get there," Galicich said.

Right now, Forchas only has feeling on the left side of her body. An online fundraiser has raised nearly $1 million for her and her family.

Forchas' father, Tom Forchas, also spoke at Friday's news conference.

"To carry out such an atrocity against innocent children, children who were praying during Mass is unfathomable," Tom Forchas said.

He described his daughter as brilliant, kind and full of life. 

"These past 10 days have been the longest and hardest of our lives," Tom Forchas said. "I stand before you today on behalf of my family to thank every person who helped get Sophia from the pew where she lay wounded all the way to Dr. Galichich's operating room."

He went on to thank first responders, doctors and members of the parish who have helped Sophia Forchas, along with those "across the globe" who have prayed for her.

Sophia Forchas' mother is a pediatric critical care nurse at Hennepin Healthcare. She rushed to work to help the victims in the attack "before knowing it was her children's school that was attacked, and that her daughter was critically injured," according to the fundraiser.

Tom Forchas said his wife has not left Sophia Forchas' side and has been meticulously monitoring her recovery. 

Galicich was asked toward the end of the news conference if he had any takeaways from the incident.

"I hope someday we can get it through the politicians' thick skulls how terrible it is to tell a 12-year-old's parents that their child has been shot. I hope it would get through their skulls, that message, as well as some of these bullets do," he said.

Father Timothy Sas of St. Mary's Greek Orthodox Church in Minneapolis said the following in a written statement on Aug. 28: "Sophia was born and raised in our St. Mary's parish, immersed in the life of the Church together with her extended family of several generations who are devoted members of our congregation."

Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10, were killed in the shooting. Along with the 18 children, three adults in their 80s were injured. 

Learn more about the victims here and click here to find out how to support them.

Note: The above video first aired on Aug. 28, 2025.