When the family of Army veteran Chris Mintz decided to launch a GoFundMe campaign to help pay for the hero's medical bills, they had no idea how quickly it would take off — we're talking nearly a million dollars in just five days.
This past Thursday, an armed gunman shot Mintz seven times (according to some accounts) while he tried to stop the violence on Umpqua Community College's campus. Nine innocent people died, while nine others were injured. Mintz survived, but doctors say the 30-year-old will need to learn to walk all over again.
Anticipating that Mintz's surgeries and the recuperation that follows would be costly, a CNN producer suggested to his cousin that the family start the campaign, The Daily Dot reported. “I had no idea. I had no clue,” said Derek Bourgeois, Mintz's cousin.
CNN broadcast the initiative. Other news outlets followed suit. Mintz's family set its original goal at $10,000. Today, the campaign's funds are approaching $800,000.
The GoFundMe page explains that, in addition to Mintz's medical bills, the funds will help cover other costs, like missing work and child care for his six-year-old son Tyrik. (The shooting happened on Tyrik's birthday. "It’s my son’s birthday today," Mintz said after being shot, but the gunman shot again.)
Mintz's family is also helping to raise funds and awareness for other victims of the devastating attack by linking to their respective GoFundMe pages.
On Tuesday, the family announced that GoFundMe made the commendable decision to support the effort. The company donated $75,000 to #UCCStrong, a separate campaign set up by the Greater Douglas United Way in order to help the community.
AdvertisementADVERTISEMENT