Lydia Kaiser, a student who suffered a brain injury during the mass shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis on Aug. 27, has been released from the hospital.
Lydia Kaiser, a student at Annunciation Catholic School, was severely injured in the shooting at Annunciation Catholic Church on Wednesday, Aug. 27, 2025. (Courtesy of GoFundMe)
She was injured while protecting a younger student, according to a verified GoFundMe.
A statement from the Kaiser family released by Children’s Minnesota hospital says that she returned home Saturday, ‘after more than a week of thousands of prayers, surgery and constant care from extraordinary medical staff.’
“She is strong and in good spirits,” the statement reads. “Please continue to keep her in your prayers.”
On Thursday, her parents said she had suffered a traumatic brain injury from a bullet and underwent two brain surgeries — one to remove bullet fragments and another ‘to alleviate the swelling and reduce the pressure on her brain caused by her injury.’
Lydia’s parents wrote that she was ‘making remarkable progress in her recovery’ at Children’s Minnesota. They met with Vice President JD Vance and shared their first public remarks on Wednesday.
A spokesperson for the family shared an update on GoFundMe on Saturday.
“She is walking, she is talking, she is fighting and she is ever so brave. She has another surgery coming up in the near future. This will be to replace the section of her skull that was removed to allow for swelling of her brain. She will face this surgery with grace, bravery and unbelievable strength,” Jesse Wolf wrote.
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On Saturday, a Children’s Minnesota spokesperson said the hospital is no longer caring for any victims from the Annunciation shooting. Minneapolis hospitals admitted most of the 21 injured people in the aftermath. By Wednesday, only two children had remained hospitalized.
Sophia Forchas, 12, remains hospitalized in critical condition at HCMC as of Friday afternoon.
Two children died after the shooting: 10-year-old Harper Moyski and 8-year-old Fletcher Merkel.
Fletcher’s funeral is scheduled for Sunday afternoon at Mount Olivet Lutheran Church in Minneapolis. A celebration of life for Harper is set for Sept. 14 at the Lake Harriet Bandshell in Minneapolis, according to an obituary.
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