An online fundraiser for the family of the man who opened fire inside a Michigan church and set it ablaze has raised more than $275,000, in what its 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, before opening fire on the congregation and setting the building on fire. Four people were killed, eight others injured, and the church destroyed. Police shot and killed Sanford at the scene.
Dave Butler, a Utah resident and lifelong member of the faith, launched the fundraiser on GiveSendGo two days later. He said he viewed Sanford’s family as victims too. “We understand that there is a family that needs to be taken care of,” Butler said.
Butler initially set a goal of $10,000. Within 48 hours, more than 7,000 people had donated, raising far more than any of the verified fundraisers for the victims of the attack. Many donors identified themselves as fellow members of the church, leaving messages of support for Sanford’s family.
Authorities have not disclosed Sanford’s motive, though friends said he harbored resentment toward the church after a failed relationship with a member in Utah. Officials have described the attack as an “act of targeted violence” carried out by Sanford alone.
In a statement through their attorney, Sanford’s family expressed sorrow for the victims, saying, “No words can adequately convey our sorrow for the victims and their families.”
Butler said the outpouring of donations reflects the faith’s emphasis on forgiveness. “Not to get revenge, not to get justice, not to blame the wrong people,” he said of his motivation.
Deidre Nicole Green, assistant professor of Latter-day Saint/Mormon Studies at the Graduate Theological Union in California, noted that forgiveness is central to the faith’s teachings. “As human beings, we’re required to forgive everyone even our enemies,” she said, though she added that scripture allows for nuance in different situations.
Green, who has studied forgiveness among survivors of genocide and apartheid, said many see it as a way to break cycles of violence. “Without forgiveness, there is this ongoing cycle of retaliation where the sense of justice gets lost,” she explained.
Butler pointed to scripture as inspiration for the fundraiser: “The Epistle of James says to care for the widows and the orphans. Jesus says, ‘Blessed are those that mourn. They shall be comforted.’”
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