More than 100 people gathered on the other side of the Children’s Room Street at the Minneapolis Hennepin County Medical Center to pray for the children who recovered there after they were shot at the Annunciation Catholic School this week.
Teachers, students and nurses, as well as police officers who had heard about the watch of the candlelight on Thursday night on their dispatch radios, all joined for a moment of silence, united in a shared sense of pain and hope after the mass shooting on Wednesday.
More than one hundred members of the community and hospital staff met on the other side of the Children’s Chamber Street at the Hennepin County Medical Center to participate in a vigil, on August 28, 2025 in Minneapolis.
KSTP
More than one hundred members of the community and hospital staff met on the other side of the Children’s Chamber Street at the Hennepin County Medical Center to participate in a vigil, on August 28, 2025 in Minneapolis.
KSTP
“This is the worst nightmare of each nurse/mother, and the worst fear comes true,” said a steering wheel for vigil. “We would like anyone who is interested in joining us to illuminate [Minneapolis] With the light of candles, love and support, for children, their families and our staff. “
One of those victims is Sophia Forchas, 12, who is in critical condition after undergoing surgery. It is a tragedy that hit his whole family at the same time: his younger brother was inside the Annunciation Catholic School at the time of the shooting and his mother is a pediatric nurse in the hospital where Sophia was admitted.
More than one hundred members of the community and hospital staff met on the other side of the Children’s Chamber Street at the Hennepin County Medical Center to participate in a vigil, on August 28, 2025 in Minneapolis.
KSTP
“Sofia’s mother was called to work, and only to discover when she arrived that her daughter was one of the victims, unfortunately,” Father Timothy Sas of the Orthodox Church of Santa María told ABC News.
“No priest is prepared enough to offer comfort for a moment like this,” he said.
Jen Labanowski, her daughter Lucy and her daughter’s friend, Cece Degnan, encloses candles in a monument for yesterday’s victims in front of the Annunciation Catholic Church, on August 28, 2025 in Minneapolis.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
He described Sophia as “luminous” and “brilliant”, an active student at school and in the church.
“It goes through it and we need about two, three days before they can understand what their future prognosis is,” he said.
The shots exploded during the Mass on Wednesday morning, when a shooter opened fire through the windows of the school church, killing an 8 -year -old boy, Fletcher Merkel, and a 10 -year -old girl, Harper Moyski.
A photo without Fletcher Merkel date.
Merkel family
A photo without date of Harper Moyski.
Michael Moyski and Jackie Flavin
Eighteen people, including 15 children, were injured.
All injured victims are expected to survive, police said. Eight of the victims remain hospitalized.
The Security Commissioner of the Minneapolis community, Todd Barnette, praised the “children who protected their friends from the shots” and the “school leaders and faith that ran into the church and the scene without worrying about their own security.”
The 23 -year -old shooter, who previously attended school, died at the scene of a self -inflicted gunshot wound, police said. A reason is still unknown.
“There has been a conversation” with the mother of the shooter, said the Minneapolis Police assistant, Christopher Gaiters, although he did not explain.
