Minneapolis school shooting GoFundMe campaigns raise more than $1.5 million in two days

A series of GoFundMe campaigns have raised more than $1.5 million for the victims of the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting.

The attack, which took place on 27 August at the Church of the Annunciation in the Windom neighbourhood of Minneapolis during a Mass for the parochial school, left two children aged eight and ten dead, and 18 others injured. The shooter has been named as Robin Westman, a self-identified "trans woman" who appears to have been at least partially motivated by a hatred of Catholics. In a series of videos posted online and believed to have been created by Westman, one message on a gun magazine reads: “For the children”; another reads: “Where is your God?” One clip shows what appears to be a target with the head of a crucified Christ superimposed on it.

The campaigns raise money both for the victims as a group and for individuals affected, such as Sophia Forchas. Sophia, described as “a bright, kind, and full-of-life young girl”, was shot during the attack and is now in critical condition in intensive care. Her brother was among the children shot at by the 23-year-old gunman. Her mother, a paediatric critical care nurse, arrived at work to assist during the emergency—unaware that it was her children’s school that had been attacked, and that her daughter was critically injured.

Another campaign supports the family of Harper Moyski, one of the two children who died during Wednesday’s attack. The appeal will go towards supporting the family, with a portion to be donated in Harper’s honour to a non-profit yet to be identified. Her parents have urged “leaders and communities to take meaningful steps to address gun violence and the mental health crisis in this country”.

The $1.5 million in donations comes from more than 26,000 individual contributors, including one anonymous donation of $10,000.

Other fundraising efforts have also been launched. The Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis has established the “Annunciation Hope and Healing Fund” to support the needs of the Church of the Annunciation, the parish school, and all those affected by the tragedy.

(Photo by Scott Olson/Getty Images)

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