Remarkable
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Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have donated thousands of dollars to the family of the man believed to have carried out a deadly attack on one of their churches in Michigan, killing four people.
Police said Thomas Sanford drove his truck into the church in Grand Blanc during a worship service on Sunday and opened fire before starting a massive blaze. He was killed by police.
David Butler, a member of the denomination living in Utah, said he was moved to launch a fundraiser for Sanford's widow and children.
As of Thursday, it had brought in more than $250,000 (£186,000), with many donors identifying themselves as Latter-day Saints, commonly called Mormons.
"The family will face financial hardship and psychological trauma as a result of this week's horrifying events," Mr Butler wrote in the fundraiser page on the website GiveSendGo.
"On top of that, one of the Sanford sons deals with serious medical challenges that require ongoing care, treatment, and specialized support."
One survivor of the attack wrote in a letter that she had forgiven the gunman for killing her father.
"When he [the gunman] came over to me I felt very calm, peaceful even as I kneeled next to my dad, my hands still on dad," the woman wrote in the letter, shared with BBC's US partner CBS News. Her name was not published to protect the family's privacy.
"I never took my eyes off his eyes, something happened, I saw pain, he felt lost. I deeply felt it with every fiber of my being," she wrote.
"I forgave him, I forgave him right there, not in words, but with my heart."