Churchgoers Donate More than $250K to Church Shooter’s Family

In the aftermath of a shocking massacre that claimed four lives and injured at least eight inside a Michigan church, an unusual fundraiser is dividing public opinion. Instead of raising money solely for the victims, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have launched a campaign to support the family of the accused gunman.

The shooter, identified by police as 40-year-old Thomas Jacob Sanford, stormed into a packed Sunday service at the Grand Blanc Township ward, driving his pickup truck through the doors before opening fire with an assault-style rifle on nearly 100 worshippers. He then set the church ablaze before dying in a shootout with police, authorities confirmed.

“This was an individual who hated people of the Mormon faith,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, citing conversations between President Trump and the FBI director.

Yet, while victims’ families grieve, an LDS member named David Butler turned to the Christian crowdfunding site GiveSendGo to rally support for Sanford’s widow and children. Butler described himself as an “ordinary member” of the church, writing that Sanford’s family is “also left behind in grief” and noting that one of Sanford’s sons has “serious medical challenges that require ongoing care.”

The fundraiser quickly gained traction, raising more than $285,000 by Thursday afternoon toward its $500,000 goal. Much of the money appears to come from fellow church members, who framed their donations as acts of compassion.

“We have been taught to be peacemakers,” one anonymous donor wrote. “May you feel the love of the Savior surrounding you always. You are beloved children of God.”

The move has stirred mixed reactions both inside and outside the Latter-day Saint community. Some see it as an extraordinary act of forgiveness, echoing the church’s history of persecution dating back to the 19th century, when early Mormon pioneers were driven from state to state by violent mobs.

“It took my breath away, that this church is so forgiving and understanding and caring,” Sanford’s sister, Katie Hamilton, told the Detroit Free Press. She admitted that the family at first thought the campaign might be a scam, but later embraced it.

Critics, however, argue that directing funds to the gunman’s family overshadows the pain of the victims. GoFundMe has already established a verified hub to channel donations toward those killed or injured.

In Michigan and beyond, the shooting has left the Mormon faithful shaken. Grand Blanc police say the attack is being investigated as a hate crime. Survivors recall chaos, flames, and gunfire as Sanford unleashed terror in what should have been a place of worship and peace.

The fundraiser’s success illustrates a recurring theme in LDS teachings: the call to minister even to those connected with wrongdoing. Butler, quoting the biblical book of James, wrote that “pure religion” requires visiting “the fatherless and widows in their affliction.”

Still, for many Americans, the campaign raises uncomfortable questions about forgiveness, faith, and where sympathy belongs after such violence.

As the community holds vigils for the dead and hospitals treat the wounded, the country is once again left to debate not only gun violence, but the boundaries of mercy itself.