Mere days after actress Issa Rae established a scholarship fund for the five children of slain Baton Rouge man Alton Sterling, the GoFundMe has raised an astonishing $695,000.
The day after a video was released of a Louisiana police officer fatally shooting 37-year-old Sterling at point-blank range outside of a convenience store, Rae tweeted that she had launched a scholarship fundraiser for Sterling’s kids, reports Yahoo News.
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“If you feel helpless but want to play a small part in easing the burden of #AltonSterling’s family, consider donating to this scholarship fund for his 15-year-old son (and his other kids),” Rae wrote on the page.
As of this morning, more than 23,000 people had donated $695,783—and counting—far exceeding the page’s $200,000 goal.
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According to reports, a homeless man called police on July 5, claiming that a man in a red shirt was threatening people with a gun. Police arrived and tackled Sterling, who was reportedly selling CDs, pinning him on the ground. Within seconds, one of the officers opened fire, shooting Sterling in the back several times.
The two officers involved have been placed on administrative leave. The Department of Justice has opened a civil rights investigation into the shooting.
Visit GoFundMe.com to donate to Rae’s fundraiser.