Annunciation shooting: Minneapolis police search-warrant updates victim count to 30
A Minneapolis police search warrant updated the Aug. 27 Annunciation Church shooting victim count to 30 — including two killed, 29 people wounded by gunfire (three adults and 26 juveniles) and one person with non‑gunfire injuries — with some additional shrapnel wounds identified after initial triage and several victims seeking care on their own; survivors such as Sophia Forchas and 12‑year‑old Lydia Kaiser have undergone major surgeries and been discharged or returned to school. The attack has prompted Minnesota doctors to demand a special legislative session and statewide gun restrictions, inspired community gestures including cards delivered to Pope Leo XIV, and touched off complex legal and immigration proceedings involving suspect Kilmar Abrego Garcia, from federal judicial warnings and rescheduled hearings to an immigration judge’s order for his immediate release.
📌 Key Facts
- Minneapolis police search warrant updated the Aug. 27 Annunciation Church shooting victim count to 30 and noted two people were killed; the warrant said most victims were wounded by gunfire and some additional shrapnel injuries were identified after initial triage.
- The search-warrant breakdown reported injuries included 3 adults and 26 juveniles who sustained gunshot wounds, and that some victims went to hospitals on their own.
- Survivor updates: 12-year-old Lydia Kaiser underwent surgery that removed part of her skull to allow brain swelling and will need ongoing care; a Sept. 30 GoFundMe update reported she has returned to school.
- Another survivor, Sophia Forchas, was discharged from Hennepin County Medical Center roughly two months after the shooting after surgery (including removal of part of her skull) and a medically induced coma; doctors had warned she could become a third fatality, and she left the hospital able to walk and talk and is returning to school.
- Minnesota doctors, including clinicians who treated Annunciation victims organized by the Minnesota Medical Association, called for a special legislative session on gun policy, urging statewide bans on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines, a statewide safe-storage requirement, and repeal of the state preemption that blocks local gun rules.
- Acts of solidarity reached the Vatican: Archbishop Bernard Hebda hand-delivered cards made by Annunciation students to Pope Leo XIV, who promised his prayers; Auxiliary Bishop Kevin Kenney personally gave the pope a 100th-Annunciation-anniversary button.
- Legal developments around suspect Kilmar Abrego Garcia have been contentious: a federal judge in Tennessee warned Trump administration officials about public statements concerning him, hearings on motions to dismiss and suppress were rescheduled for Dec. 8–9, 2025, and judges have questioned whether senior DOJ officials can be compelled to testify and whether Garcia should be detained without a final order of removal.
- Immigration custody developments culminated with an immigration judge ordering Kilmar Abrego Garcia to be immediately released from immigration detention on Dec. 11, 2025; earlier testimony indicated ICE had proposed deportation destinations including Liberia (with prior notices mentioning Uganda, Eswatini and Ghana) and said Costa Rica was not an option, while an existing injunction had previously prevented his immediate removal.
📊 Relevant Data
Immigrants commit crimes at lower rates than the U.S.-born population.
Explainer: Immigrants and Crime in the United States — Migration Policy Institute
Over half of the deadliest mass shootings in U.S. history involved assault weapons, with their use increasing to nearly 60% in the 2020s.
Key Findings - Comprehensive Mass Shooter Data — The Violence Project
In 2023, roughly 79% of Minneapolis shooting victims were Black, while Black residents comprise about 18% of the city's population.
Hispanics have violence rates higher than that of Whites but lower than that of Blacks in the United States.
Race and crime in the United States — Wikipedia
📰 Sources (11)
Judge orders Kilmar Abrego Garcia to be immediately released from immigration detention
New information:
- An immigration judge ordered Kilmar Abrego Garcia to be immediately released from immigration detention on Dec. 11, 2025.
- This marks a significant change in Garcia’s immigration custody status following earlier reporting that he faced federal and immigration proceedings connected to the Annunciation Church mass shooting aftermath.
Judge to rule on whether to release Kilmar Abrego Garcia from immigration custody
New information:
- A federal judge in Maryland (Paula Xinis) said she will rule as soon as possible on whether to release Kilmar Abrego Garcia from immigration custody.
- Judge Xinis noted there is no final order of removal in the record and suggested he likely should not be detained without one.
- ICE official John Cantu testified DHS now proposes deporting Abrego Garcia to Liberia; earlier notices included Uganda, Eswatini and Ghana.
- The government has not pursued deportation to Costa Rica despite prior indications it could accept him; Cantu said Costa Rica is 'not an option at the moment' without explaining why.
- An existing injunction from Judge Xinis currently prevents his immediate removal; the government has moved to lift that injunction.
After mistaken deportation, Abrego Garcia fights smuggling charges. Here’s what to know
New information:
- Federal hearings on Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s motions to dismiss smuggling charges and suppress evidence are rescheduled to Dec. 8–9, 2025, before Judge Waverly Crenshaw in Nashville.
- Judge Crenshaw previously found “some evidence” the prosecution may be vindictive and cited statements by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche as cause for concern.
- The parties are disputing whether senior Justice Department officials, including Blanche, can be compelled to provide testimony or documents.
- A DHS agent testified he did not begin investigating the 2022 Tennessee traffic stop until after the U.S. Supreme Court ordered the administration to work to return Abrego Garcia to the U.S.
- Details of the 2022 stop: nine passengers were in the vehicle; Abrego Garcia was let go with a warning after a calm exchange; officers discussed suspected smuggling.
A federal judge in Tennessee warns Trump officials over statements about Kilmar Abrego Garcia
New information:
- A federal judge in Tennessee warned Trump administration officials about their public statements regarding Kilmar Abrego Garcia.
- The admonition was issued on Oct. 28, 2025, in Tennessee federal court.
- The warning pertains to statements about Abrego Garcia, the suspect linked to the Minneapolis Annunciation Church mass shooting.
Sophia Forchas leaves hospital two months after Annunciation shooting
New information:
- Victim Sophia Forchas has been discharged from the hospital roughly two months after the Aug. 27 Annunciation Church shooting.
- The article pinpoints the timing of her release (reported Oct. 23, 2025), marking a concrete recovery milestone.
Annunciation shooting survivor Sophia Forchas released from hospital after 'miraculous recovery'
New information:
- Annunciation shooting survivor Sophia Forchas was released from Hennepin County Medical Center on Thursday, nearly two months after being shot in the head on Aug. 27.
- Doctors had previously warned she could become the third fatality; she underwent surgery that included removal of part of her skull and was placed in a medically induced coma.
- Forchas was able to walk and talk with supporters at discharge and is returning to school; community members greeted her with banners outside HCMC.
Annunciation shooting: Victim count rises to 30
New information:
- Minneapolis police search warrant states total victim count is now 30 for the Aug. 27 shooting.
- Of the 30 victims, 2 were killed and 29 sustained injuries from gunfire; one additional victim had non-gunfire injuries.
- Breakdown: 3 adults and 26 juveniles were injured by gunfire; some additional shrapnel wounds were discovered after initial triage and some victims went to hospitals on their own.
Annunciation shooting: Students' acts of kindness reach Pope Leo XIV
New information:
- Archbishop Bernard Hebda hand-delivered cards made by Annunciation students to Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican.
- Archbishop Hebda said the Pope promised his prayers for the families and the Archdiocese in a released statement.
- Auxiliary Bishop Kevin Kenney reported personally giving the Pope a 100th-Annunciation-anniversary button and provided on-air comments about the meeting.
Annunciation shooting: Doctors in Minnesota call for gun ban, special session
New information:
- Minnesota Medical Association organized doctors — including clinicians who treated Annunciation victims — to demand a special legislative session on gun policy.
- Doctors laid out specific policy asks: statewide bans on assault-style weapons and high-capacity magazines; a statewide safe-storage requirement; and removal of the state prohibition that blocks localities from enacting stricter gun rules.
- Named quotes from Dr. Trish Vilsic and Dr. Lisa Matson describing the clinical harms seen and converting medical testimony into a public policy demand.
Annunciation mass shooting: Lydia Kaiser returns to school after attack
New information:
- 12-year-old Lydia Kaiser has returned to school as of a Sept. 30 GoFundMe update reported Oct. 1, 2025.
- Medical detail: Kaiser underwent surgery that removed a piece of her skull to allow her brain to swell and will need ongoing care.
- Uvalde Foundation for Kids announced it will award Kaiser its National Student Heroism Award (statement from founder Daniel Chapin).