Photo shared via GoFundMe shows 9-year-old Vivian St. Clair, who is recovering from multiple gunshot wounds. (GoFundMe / Supplied)
MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Vivian St. Clair, 9, was shot multiple times during the Annunciation Church mass shooting and taken to the Hennepin County Medical Center, where her mother works.
Her family is asking for support in raising funds to cover her recovery expenses.
Support for Vivi and her family
Big picture view:
A GoFundMe for Vivian St. Clair says that she ran from Annunciation Church despite being shot multiple times in the back and arm. A police officer then rushed Vivian to an ambulance, which brought her to Hennepin County Medical Center, where her mother works.
Doctors say that Vivian, who goes by "Vivi," has bullet fragments in her body that will not be removed, meaning she will carry them for the rest of her life, according to the GoFundMe page.
Despite the hardships, Vivi "continues to smile and radiate sweetness," with GoFundMe saying she is still excited to swim in her grandma's pool with her dad.
The family is now asking for help in raising funds for medical care, emotional therapy, lost wages and resources to "help Vivi heal and regain her childhood."
As of Friday morning, the GoFundMe page has raised nearly $100,000.
Annunciation mass shooting
The backstory:
At 8:27 a.m. on Aug. 27, the first 911 calls came in about the shooting and several law enforcement agencies responded to a report of a shooting at the Annunciation Church and Catholic School in south Minneapolis.
A shooter dressed in black approached the outside of the church and opened fire through the stained-glass windows toward children sitting in the pews during mass on their first week back at school.
The shooter was armed with a rifle, shotgun and pistol, and shot off more than 100 rounds. O'Hara said police recovered three shotgun shells and 116 rifle rounds, as well as one live round that was recovered from a handgun that appears to have malfunctioned. Authorities do not believe the shooter ever entered the church before the shooter died by suicide in the parking lot.
First responders arrived at the scene at 8:31 a.m. and rescued children hiding throughout the church. O'Hara said an officer ran into the church with no helmet or gear.
"The parishioner later told me that was the first time that he, the children and others there had any sense that they might be safe and survive," O'Hara said of the officer running into the church.
There were 20 victims as a result of the shooting. Two children, 8 and 10, were fatally shot. Another 15 children, between the ages of 6 and 15, were injured by gunfire. Three adults in their 80s who were attending mass were also shot.
Previously, authorities said 14 children were injured in the shooting but officials revised that number to 15 on Thursday morning. O'Hara said on Thursday the child victim, who was identified as the 15th young victim, was taken by private vehicle to a hospital outside the Twin Cities. Police did not receive the report about the child until after the child was treated for a "graze wound" and released.
READ MORE: Annunciation School shooting: Emergency audio reveals medical response, injuries
All the remaining victims are expected to survive, O'Hara said on Wednesday.
Dig deeper:
Read more about the Annunciation mass shooting:
- What we know so far - Aug. 28 updates
- What we know about the victims
- What’s known about shooting suspect Robin Westman
- Victim recalls ‘super scary’ attack during mass
- Emergency audio reveals medical response, injuries
- How you can help
- Search warrant reveals new details about the shooter
- What we know about the shooter's motive
- All stories related to the Annunciation Church and School shooting
The Source: This story uses information from a GoFundMe to support Vivian's family and previous FOX 9 reporting.