Annunciation injury updates: Weston’s bullet fragment removed, other students leaving the hospital

As the shock begins to wear off, some families of children wounded on Aug. 27 at Annunciation Church in Minneapolis are revealing details of their kids’ injuries on online fundraising sites. Others, including one girl grazed by a bullet, have spoken to reporters outside the church.

Recent updates in online fundraising campaigns note that students David Haeg and Genevieve Bisek were well enough to leave the hospital.

Stories of bravery and resilience are beginning to emerge as well. Some kids wounded during the shooting were protecting friends or their “little buddies” at school from a storm of bullets.

Fletcher Merkel, 8, and Harper Moyski, 10, were killed in the shooting. Of the 21 who were injured, 16 were children. Eight families have so far created GoFundMe pages.

Here is what we know about the students who were caught in the gunfire, just days after returning to the classroom from summer break, and two of the three adults:

Weston quickly became the face and the voice of youngsters who were inside Annunciation Church when the gunfire broke out. He told reporters about his friend Victor Greenawalt (see below) shielding him from the barrage of gunfire.

At first, Weston seemingly came away physically unscathed. However, it turns out Weston “will need surgery to remove a bullet fragment that is lodged in his neck, dangerously close to his carotid artery,” his aunt, Allison Hawes, wrote on an online fundraising page she started for Weston’s family.

Weston’s parents have since disclosed in a statement that he underwent surgery on Sept. 3 at Children’s Minnesota and had the fragment removed.

“The procedure went well, and Weston is expected to make a full recovery,” the statement read.

Soon afterward, according to the hospital, Weston spoke on the phone with JD Vance during the vice president’s visit to the Twin Cities.

When fifth-grader Weston spoke to reporters after the Aug. 27 shooting, he recounted that his brave friend Victor “laid on top of me” to shield Weston from the bullets and ended up getting hit.

Victor Greenawalt’s uncle, Mike Kelly, said his nephew’s “selfless acts” helped spare the lives of his friends.

A sign seen at a memorial outside the church that someone drew said, simply, “Thank You Victor.”

Genevieve Bisek was shot in the neck, according to an online fundraising campaign begun on behalf of the family. An update said Genevieve has since been released from the hospital.

“This courageous child, her family, and the entire community are struggling to comprehend the unimaginable,” the campaign’s posting read. “Genevieve’s older sister was also present during the tragedy, bravely helping her Mass buddy to safety. She now carries the emotional weight of that day, questioning if she will ever feel the same again.”

One of the children wounded was taken to the hospital where her mother was working as a nurse. Seventh-grader Sophia Forchas was last reported on Sept. 3 to be in critical condition at HCMC , a hospital spokeswoman said.

According to an online fundraising campaign started to help the family with medical and other expenses, Sophia’s mother, Amy Forchas, is a pediatric critical care nurse who reported for work in response to the shooting.

Also at the scene at the time was Sophia’s younger brother, Anthony, the posting disclosed. The fundraising campaign includes a photo of Sophia and Anthony, a fourth-grader, together outside the school and wearing their uniforms and big smiles.

“Though he was physically unharmed,” the posting continued, “the trauma of witnessing such a terrifying event — and knowing his sister was critically injured — is something no child should ever experience.”

On Sept. 2, according to the official publication of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Bishop Michael Izen visited Sophia in the hospital and blessed her with holy water from Lourdes, France.

Twelve-year-old Lydia Kaiser was wounded while protecting her “little buddy” during Annunciation’s first Mass of the school year, according to an online fundraising campaign started to help Lydia’s family with medical and other expenses.

Her father, Harry Kaiser, is an Annunciation gym teacher and “was also in attendance and helped to secure the room, to keep children safe, and stuck with them all until they were reunited with their families, even while his daughter was entering the emergency room.”

Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance made time during their visit to the Twin Cities on Sept. 3 and met with Lydia at Children’s Minnesota, where her treatment has continued.

Natalie Davis said her family’s world “was turned upside down” when her 13-year-old nephew was shot at the church. In a posting on an online fundraising campaign on behalf of Endre Gunter’s family, Davis wrote that the eighth-grader was shot twice while attending Mass.

“It’s impossible to make sense of this act of violence against children, in a place that should have been a sanctuary of peace and safety,” Davis wrote.

“In the face of unimaginable fear and pain, Endre showed strength and faith beyond his years.”

Davis said that before Endre went into surgery, he asked the doctor, “‘Can you say a prayer with me?’”

An online fundraising campaign started on behalf of Vivian’s family noted that despite being shot in her back and her arm, she “ran from the church to the school gym, where a police officer scooped her up and rushed her to an ambulance.”

Vivian was taken to HCMC, where her mother works, the posting continued. “Through it all, she continues to smile and radiate sweetness,” the campaign read.

“She’s been telling people how excited she is to swim at her grandma’s pool in Arizona [Thursday] evening with her dad, Joe — just showing how innocent and hopeful she remains.”

Six-year-old David Haeg has undergone surgery and had more days ahead being cared for in a hospital pediatric intensive care unit, according to an online fundraiser started on behalf of his family. He has since been discharged.

“His road to recovery will be long, but he is showing incredible strength and resilience,” the online posting read. “In the midst of this unimaginable time, the last thing David’s family should have to worry about is mounting medical expenses.”

Astoria told a reporter she’s feeling OK. She also described how she helped pull two other kids down next to her when the bullets started flying.

“I had two buddies side by side, and I just pushed their heads down to make sure they were safe,” she said. “I thought it was fireworks, it was just crazy. And the smell was terrible.”

Ronald Wilson, 87, and Suzan Wilson, 82, of Richfield, were among three adults who were wounded in the Aug. 27 gunfire at Annunciation, their family confirmed.

An online medical update written by a daughter has been read more than 5,300 times as of Wednesday afternoon. It notes that Ronald Wilson came away with a minor cut on his head. Suzan Wilson, however, suffered serious injuries to her head from shrapnel.

“As my parents ... enter this later stage of life, my siblings and I have lovingly and constantly been reminding them to make safe choices like not getting on ladders or shoveling the walk,” Jenny Harding wrote. “Unfortunately, on Wednesday August 27th, being at mass at Annunciation Church turned out to be unsafe.”

A member of the Wilsons’ family said they were not ready to share more about the couple.