On Monday night David Butler saw that there were a number of online fundraisers for victims of Sunday’s tragic attack on a Michigan chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. That included families of the four deceased victims — the grieving widows of Craig Hayden, Pat Howard and John Bond, and the surviving son and daughter of Thelma Armstrong.
There were other fundraisers for several injured in the shooting, including Ben Phelps and his 6-year old son, Greg Mikat, Jeff & Marei Kubiak and two medical residents injured while trying to bring people to safety.
But Butler, an author, noticed there weren’t any funds being raised for the surviving family of the shooter, Thomas Jacob Sanford — including his wife and 10-year old child with a rare genetic disorder, congenital hyperinsulinism.
“I took the dogs for a long walk to clear my head and kind of make sure that my heart was right,” Butler said. When he returned home, he felt resolved to do something.
He started a campaign on the GiveSendGo platform. Butler was pretty confident donations could reach $10,000 and maybe even $20,000.
But his biggest surprise has been the “massive amount of response” online, thanks to amplification by a number of Latter-day Saint influencers and even Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah
In the first 12 hours, $100,000 was raised, shattering initial goals. As of press time, the online fundraiser has gathered just over $200,000. The average contribution is $40, with about two-thirds of the more than 5,077 donors staying anonymous.
“Our family mourns for your loss. We are praying for you that you may feel our Savior’s infinite grace and love,” wrote one donor, the Patel family. Another donor, the Gines family, wrote “God bless the Sanford family in this dark hour of their lives where they have lost a father and husband.”
“My heart breaks for this family as much as the survivors of this tragic event. None of them chose this,” an anonymous donor wrote. The donation page is filled with other similar messages:
- “We hope this helps your family in a terrible time.”
- “Hoping your family can feel some peace during this devastating time.”
- “I’m sorry for your loss in such a heartbreaking way.”
- “I can’t imagine how difficult the coming years will be. I pray for you to find peace.”
- “Praying for your family during this difficult time. 🙏”
“Prayers for everyone,” one donor wrote, with another stating, “I pray for healing for all the victims, including you and your son.”
Several comments specifically mentioned the surviving son who now faces significant medical challenges without a father’s support:
- “I have a special needs daughter, it’s incredibly challenging. I hope the best for you and your family in this terrible time.”
- “I wish I could give more to help you and your little one. We’re praying for peace and healing for you as well.”
- “For your son.”
Butler described spending the day reading messages like this, refreshing his screen. “I occasionally cried … that was my day,” he said.
“I did not expect to experience so much compassion,” he said. “The generosity, the emotion and the beauty — the spirit of it — really caught me by surprise.”
Not everyone has responded positively to this effort. Butler described a sense among some now saying, “Hey, that’s enough money for these people. Now we need to focus on raising money for the Latter-day Saint victims.”
Butler wasn’t aware of how much had been raised for the direct victims. But that’s precisely what many influencers are doing now, since at least two of the other victim fundraisers haven’t yet reached their goals.
Butler calls himself a “bystander” of what happened. “I don’t think this is about me. My part is very small.” It only took a few minutes to set it up, he emphasizes — giving credits to the many others who were willing to share and amplify it. “I think God’s hand is at work here.”
Podcaster Jacob Hansen, with Thoughtful Faith, mentioned the online debate that erupted after President Donald Trump referred to the attack as “another targeted attack on Christians” following the shooting.
“At the same time people are telling us we’re not Christians, we were busy being Christians,” he said.
“This is not just about Latter-day Saints,” Hansen said, pointing out that many supporters of the campaign said, “this is beautiful, we’re in.”
The morning before talking with Deseret News, Butler had spoken with Fox, the Washington Post and Free Press. Each had asked about the Latter-day Saint beliefs that motivated such an effort.
His answers includes comforting those that mourn and caring for widows and orphans.
“Look, I think this was a Christian response, and I hope that other Christians recognize it as such.”