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.
We understand that 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. Leveraging media connections from his participation in podcasts about the Latter-day Saints faith, he helped promote the fundraiser.
Donations poured in as the effort quickly drew attention, highlighting many people being far more familiar with efforts to raise money online for victims of mass shootings in the U.S.
Authorities have not discussed Sanford’s motive for the attack this week, although described it as an act of targeted violence by Sanford alone. Friends remarked he had expressed hatred towards the faith during his time in Utah after dating a member of the church.
Butler started the fundraiser aiming for $10,000 to offer the family some financial relief in the following months. He noted that many members of the faith feel compelled to respond to the tragedy in a meaningful way.
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, he said.
Over 7,000 people contributed to the fundraiser for the Sanford family in the 48 hours since it was posted, raising more than any verified online fundraisers for the churchgoers killed or injured in the attack. Many donors expressed their support and solidarity.
An attorney for the Sanford family did not return a message left by The Associated Press. Their previous statement expressed deep sorrow for the victims and their families.
Butler attributed this collective compassion to the tenets of forgiveness, urging community care, and supporting those in need.
Lisa Louis, whose father was a victim, reported forgiving the gunman instantly, demonstrating the profound emotional responses elicited by this tragedy.
While the event is universally acknowledged as awful, Butler maintains hope that healing will occur, and community support plays a critical role in that process.
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.
We understand that 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. Leveraging media connections from his participation in podcasts about the Latter-day Saints faith, he helped promote the fundraiser.
Donations poured in as the effort quickly drew attention, highlighting many people being far more familiar with efforts to raise money online for victims of mass shootings in the U.S.
Authorities have not discussed Sanford’s motive for the attack this week, although described it as an act of targeted violence by Sanford alone. Friends remarked he had expressed hatred towards the faith during his time in Utah after dating a member of the church.
Butler started the fundraiser aiming for $10,000 to offer the family some financial relief in the following months. He noted that many members of the faith feel compelled to respond to the tragedy in a meaningful way.
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, he said.
Over 7,000 people contributed to the fundraiser for the Sanford family in the 48 hours since it was posted, raising more than any verified online fundraisers for the churchgoers killed or injured in the attack. Many donors expressed their support and solidarity.
An attorney for the Sanford family did not return a message left by The Associated Press. Their previous statement expressed deep sorrow for the victims and their families.
Butler attributed this collective compassion to the tenets of forgiveness, urging community care, and supporting those in need.
Lisa Louis, whose father was a victim, reported forgiving the gunman instantly, demonstrating the profound emotional responses elicited by this tragedy.
While the event is universally acknowledged as awful, Butler maintains hope that healing will occur, and community support plays a critical role in that process.
