Faith and Forgiveness: $200,000 Raised for Michigan Church Gunman’s Family

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering the USA

---

Image Source: Nick Hagen for The New York Times

The community of Grand Blanc Township, Michigan, continues to grapple with grief following a deadly attack at a Latter-day Saints church, where four people were killed and eight others injured. Yet amid mourning, a surprising show of compassion has emerged: a fundraising campaign for the family of the shooter, Thomas Jacob Sanford, has collected more than $200,000.

Sanford, who drove a truck into the church during Sunday worship before opening fire with an assault style weapon, was killed by police at the scene. His attack devastated the congregation, with victims as young as six years old. Afterward, members of the local and broader Latter day Saints community rushed to provide support for the victims’ families. But one Utah based church member, writer Dave Butler, turned his attention to Sanford’s wife and child, whom he described as “two more victims.”

Butler launched the donation page on Tuesday, inspired by his faith’s teachings on forgiveness and compassion. Contributions poured in almost immediately, with more than $7,000 raised in the first two hours. Within half a day, the total neared $100,000. Donations have come from across the country, ranging from small amounts to individual gifts of $5,000.

Many donors cited scripture and spoke of forgiveness in their messages. Others noted empathy for Sanford’s widow, now facing the future as a single mother of a child with a rare genetic disease.

While the fundraiser has drawn criticism from some who view it as inappropriate, Butler said he believes the effort reflects the deeper values of his faith: to “mourn with those who mourn” and extend compassion even in the face of tragedy.

“This has gone way bigger than I thought,” Butler said. “I didn’t think it was possible.”