LANSING, Mich. (AP) — An online fundraiser for family members of the man who opened fire in a Michigan church and set it ablaze has raised over $275,000 as of Thursday in what the organizer described as a “whirlwind of love and forgiveness.”
On Sunday, Thomas “Jake” Sanford, 40, drove his pickup truck into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Grand Blanc Township, near Flint, shot at the congregation and set the building on fire.
The attack killed four people, injured eight others and left the church destroyed. 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 coverage of the attack for hours. The following day, he considered that Sanford’s family were also victims of the attack.
“...there is a family that needs to be taken care of,” he said.
Butler set up the fundraiser on the platform GiveSendGo on Tuesday morning. He leveraged media connections from his participation in podcasts about the Latter-day Saints faith to help promote the fundraiser.
Donations poured in and the effort quickly drew attention, highlighting the familiar nature of raising money online for victims of mass shootings in the U.S.
Authorities have not discussed Sanford’s motive for the attack this week, though they described it as an “act of targeted violence” by Sanford alone. Longtime friends said he expressed hatred toward the faith known widely as the Mormon church after dating a woman who was a member.
Butler’s goal was to raise $10,000 to offer the family something to get through the next few months. He expressed that many members of the faith feel contributing to the fund is the right response to the tragedy.
“I feel like I’m responding to an attack against us in the right way. Not to get revenge, not to get justice, not to blame the wrong people,” Butler said.
In just 48 hours, over 7,000 people contributed to the fundraiser for the Sanford family, raising more money than verified online fundraisers for the church-goers impacted by the attack. Many messages of support came from members of the wider church community.
An attorney for the Sanford family did not return a message left by The Associated Press on Thursday. Family members previously expressed their sorrow for the victims and their families.
Butler pointed to Christian values that likely inspired contributors, including forgiveness and caring for the vulnerable.
“...Jesus says, ‘Blessed are those that mourn. They shall be comforted,’” Butler remarked.
Lisa Louis, whose father was one of the eight victims, stated she forgave the gunman immediately upon looking him in the eyes.
Butler is in contact with the Sanford family and believes the messages left by donors online bring them comfort. “...I hope healing can come soon and that this can be part of the experience of healing.”
On Sunday, Thomas “Jake” Sanford, 40, drove his pickup truck into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints chapel in Grand Blanc Township, near Flint, shot at the congregation and set the building on fire.
The attack killed four people, injured eight others and left the church destroyed. 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 coverage of the attack for hours. The following day, he considered that Sanford’s family were also victims of the attack.
“...there is a family that needs to be taken care of,” he said.
Butler set up the fundraiser on the platform GiveSendGo on Tuesday morning. He leveraged media connections from his participation in podcasts about the Latter-day Saints faith to help promote the fundraiser.
Donations poured in and the effort quickly drew attention, highlighting the familiar nature of raising money online for victims of mass shootings in the U.S.
Authorities have not discussed Sanford’s motive for the attack this week, though they described it as an “act of targeted violence” by Sanford alone. Longtime friends said he expressed hatred toward the faith known widely as the Mormon church after dating a woman who was a member.
Butler’s goal was to raise $10,000 to offer the family something to get through the next few months. He expressed that many members of the faith feel contributing to the fund is the right response to the tragedy.
“I feel like I’m responding to an attack against us in the right way. Not to get revenge, not to get justice, not to blame the wrong people,” Butler said.
In just 48 hours, over 7,000 people contributed to the fundraiser for the Sanford family, raising more money than verified online fundraisers for the church-goers impacted by the attack. Many messages of support came from members of the wider church community.
An attorney for the Sanford family did not return a message left by The Associated Press on Thursday. Family members previously expressed their sorrow for the victims and their families.
Butler pointed to Christian values that likely inspired contributors, including forgiveness and caring for the vulnerable.
“...Jesus says, ‘Blessed are those that mourn. They shall be comforted,’” Butler remarked.
Lisa Louis, whose father was one of the eight victims, stated she forgave the gunman immediately upon looking him in the eyes.
Butler is in contact with the Sanford family and believes the messages left by donors online bring them comfort. “...I hope healing can come soon and that this can be part of the experience of healing.”
