A GoFundMe campaign to help the victims of the horrific shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School has raised more than $184,000 in donations within hours after it began.
Now, just 24 hours later, the page raised more than $380,000. According to the GoFundMe page:
“There are no words to express the sorrow that we are all feeling. Donations raised here will be used to provide relief and financial support to the victims and families of the horrific shooting.”
The Parkland, Florida, high school is part of the Broward Education Foundation, which uses fundraising and community participation to augment its schools.
At least 17 people died in this latest massacre, which is the eighteenth school shooting this year. This is the deadliest school shooting since the 2012 murders of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary school in Newtown, Connecticut.
Grieving students, families, and faculty members are trying to make sense of this tragedy, which began after expelled student Nikolas Cruz allegedly picked up an AR-15 and opened fire.
It’s not just donations that are needed. Officials are asking residents who live in the area to donate blood if they can, according to OneBlood. Many victims remain hospitalized, and type O negative blood is in short supply, the organization said.
“While the immediate blood needs have been met, there is a need to replenish the area’s O negative blood supply. O negative is the universal blood type and is used to treat trauma patients.”
Residents interested in donating can find out where the closest centers are on OneBlood’s website.
Other actions taken in reaction to the shooting include folks creating memorial bracelets to honor the victims, PeJay Ryan, the Broward Education Foundation’s marketing director told Time. Ryan said:
“Our hearts are warmed by the outpouring of compassion and love from around the country.”
Florida’s attorney general, Pam Bondi, also said the state would step in and pay the funeral expenses of the victims.
Organizers of the GoFundMe campaign are also working with fundraisers who raised money in the wake of the deadly shootings in Las Vegas and Orlando to assess how they should distribute the funds, she said. The money will go to the victims and their families, as well as anyone affected by the shooting or who needs mental health counseling as a result.
The kindness that people have responded with is a testament to the indomitability of the human spirit. That said, be aware that there are vultures out there alongside the doves of peace, and the Broward County Sheriff has issued this warning:
Their have been several fraudulent @gofundme accounts. Here is the official page where you can help victims and their families. #stonemanshooting https://t.co/J5cLKDEO5D
— Broward Sheriff (@browardsheriff) February 15, 2018
While it’s commendable that Bondi is doing this, she still has blood on her hands because she’s a pro-gun advocate, notes the National Gun Victims Action Council.
Just a little food for thought folks.
The video below honors a few of the victims of the tragedy, especially football coach Aaron Feiss, who died protecting students.
Featured image courtesy of Daily Mail via YouTube video.
