The pews of a Minneapolis church were packed with teachers, parents and schoolchildren paired with older ‘buddies’ listening to a prayer on their third day of the new school year.
Then people scrambled for safety after a shooter opened fire Wednesday morning at Annunciation Catholic School. Two children were killed and 17 people were wounded.
The shooter was found dead by suicide behind the church. Police said all the wounded victims are expected to survive. The shooting has shaken the tight-knit community built around the century-old Catholic school and parish.
And now we know the name of one of the children injured during yesterday's shooting a Annunciation Church and School. Sophia Forchas, a 12-year-old girl, was shot and critically injured during the incident. Her younger brother was also at the school but was physically unharmed.
Their mother, a pediatric critical care nurse, was at work to help with the tragedy before she knew her own daughter was a victim.
Sophia is in critical condition in the ICU after emergency surgery.
The family has set up a GoFundMe and needs financial support for Sophia's ongoing medical care, future surgeries, trauma counseling for both children, and to cover lost wages.
"Sophia was shot during the attack and is currently in critical condition in the ICU," reads a statement from the family. "She has already undergone emergency surgery, and her medical team is doing everything they can to stabilize her. Her road ahead will be long, uncertain, and incredibly difficult — but she is strong, and she is not alone.
"Adding to the heartbreak, her younger brother was also inside the school during the shooting. 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 ever experience."
More calls for reform at a Wednesday vigils
Calls for reform echoed across the state in the wake of the Annunciation Church tragedy Wednesday.
Following the shooting, a chorus of state leaders gathered at vigils across the city of Minneapolis including Rep. Angie Craig.
"We don't have to live this way. The weapons of war that are on our street, we can do something about it," Craig said.
U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar said there have already been too many of these tragedies, but still held out hope something would change.
"Vigils like this took place after Uvalde, and they took place in Buffalo, and they took place in Nashville, and they took place in Florida, and they took place in Connecticut," Sen. Amy Klobuchar said. "But every time there's more and more families, so my prayer tonight is this is the vigil that makes a difference."
It's all a part of a push for tangible policy changes, with leaders saying they are determined to ensure no parent endures this pain again.
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey says red flag laws don't go far enough, and assault weapons need to be banned. Wednesday's shooter had legally bought several guns recently.
"We have more guns in America than we have people," Frey told CBS News. "That's a problem. Why is it that you should be able to buy not just one gun but like a gun every single month? We need to recognize that we love our children more than we love our guns."
Minnesota Lt. Governor Peggy Flanagan also spoke about having the "power" to do more about these incidents.
"Jesus weeps in this moment because we have free will, and we have been given all of the tools necessary to stop this violence against our children," Flanagan explained.
Emily Koski, the Minneapolis City Councilmember from Ward 11, also talked about hope.
"The strength, the love, the hope that I see here tonight being with all of you, take that. Hold it," Koski said at a vigil.