Latter-day Saints raise $250,000 for family of Michigan church gunman

Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have raised more than $250,000 for the family of the man accused of killing four people in a violent attack on one of their churches in Michigan.

Police say Thomas Sanford drove his truck into the church in Grand Blanc during Sunday service before opening fire and setting the building ablaze. He was later shot dead by police.

Despite the horror of the attack, fellow church members across the US have rallied around Sanford’s widow and children. A fundraising campaign launched by David Butler, a Utah-based church member and fantasy author, has drawn thousands of donations, many of them from Latter-day Saints.

“The family will face financial hardship and psychological trauma as a result of this week’s horrifying events,” Butler wrote on the fundraising page hosted on GiveSendGo. He added that one of Sanford’s sons requires ongoing specialist medical care, making support even more critical.

The fundraiser — which Butler insists was started out of compassion, not personal connection — has attracted both sympathy and controversy. While many donors left messages of love and encouragement, some critics online have questioned why the family of a gunman should receive such widespread financial backing.

One donor wrote: “God loves you and your family and I wish I could give you a big hug.” Another added: “The members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints love ALL of you and hope you are able to heal with them.”

Butler said his goal was to provide stability for the Sanford family at a time of “heartbreak and upheaval.” Donations will go toward daily needs and medical treatment for the children.

The New York Times reported that while the fundraiser highlights the church’s culture of compassion, it has also stirred public debate over how communities should respond when tragedy and culpability intertwine.