Lansing, Michigan (AP) – Online fundraising for men’s families Fired at a church in Michigan And the organizers said, “What they described as swirling and swirling of love, set Ablaze raised more than $275,000 as of Thursday. forgiveness. ”
on sunday, Thomas “Jake” Sanford40, drove a pick-up truck into the Church of Jesus Christ in the Latter-day Saint Chapel in Grand Blanc Township near Flint, shooting the congregation and burning the building.
The attack killed four people, wounded eight others, and destroyed the church. Police killed Sanford at the scene.
Dave Butler, a Utah resident and lifelong member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, watched news reports of the attack for hours. The next day he considered Sanford’s family to be the victims of the attack as well.
“We understand that there are families who need to be cared for,” he said.
Butler set up a fundraiser on platform givesendgo on Tuesday morning. He used media connections from participating in a podcast about the Latter-day Saints faith to promote fundraising.
Donations were poured in, and the efforts quickly attracted attention, highlighting that many people are far more familiar with efforts to raise funds online for victims of mass shootings in the US
Authorities have not discussed this week the motivation for Sanford’s attacks, but described them as “acts of targeted violence” exclusively by Sanford. A longtime friend said to him He expressed hatred for faith After living in Utah, he was widely known as the Mormon Church, where he dated, but later parted ways with a woman who was part of the faith.
Butler’s original goal was to raise $10,000 to provide something to his family over the next few months.
He said many members of the faith have made it clear that contributing to the fund feels like the right way to respond to tragedy.
“I feel like I’m responding to attacks on us in the right way. Not to get revenge, not to get justice, not to blam the wrong people,” Butler said.
More than 7,000 people contributed to the Sanford family’s fundraiser 48 hours after it was published, raising more money than a verified online fundraiser for church conveners killed or injured in the attack. Many messages left a message that they were members of the wider church.
“Another Latter-day Saint here. I pray that this family feels loved and supported in these challenging times,” wrote a donor who did not list their names.
The Sanford family’s lawyers did not reply to the message left by the Associated Press on Thursday. In the release of a previous written statement by the lawyer, the family said “we cannot fully convey our grief to the victim and their families.”
Butler pointed to several tenants of his faith that probably influenced contributors, including the Christian ideals and the Christian ideal of turning “other cheeks.”
“James’ letter tells us to take care of widows and orphans,” Butler said. “Jesus says, “The ones who grieve are blessed; they will be comforted.” ”
Lisa Louis, who was in the chapel when her father, Craig Haden, was fatally shot, said immediately. Please forgive the gunman “In my heart” after looking into his eyes.
Butler says he is in contact with the Sanford family and believes the messages left by many donors online make sense to them.
“The event is terrible. There’s no way around that,” Butler said. “I hope healing can come soon and this will become part of the healing experience.”
