Fund set up for Seattle Pacific University hero Jon Meis and his fiance
Jun 6, 2014, 10:29 PM | Updated: Jun 9, 2014, 7:49 am
(AP Photo)
By now you’ve probably heard the story of Jon Meis. He was sitting at his monitor’s desk in Seattle Pacific University’s Otto Miller Hall Thursday afternoon when a gunman opened fire.
Meis grabbed the pepper spray that friends say he always carried, and sprayed the shooter before tackling him.
Hailed as a hero, the dean’s list electrical engineering student is expected to graduate next Saturday and get married on June 21.
Many people who wished to help the young couple, found their registry and bought wedding gifts, but 710 ESPN Seattle’s own Jessamyn McIntyre started a gofundme page to raise money for a honeymoon and beyond.
“This page is here simply for those in the community who wish to show gratitude toward this local hero.”
The donations exceeded the goal of $5,000 in the first day and fans of the page want to keep it going. The fund kept climbing all weekend to reach the $40,000 mark.
“Keep this open even though the goal is met,” wrote Tamara Flaherty. “Let more people give and share in the joy of the lives saved through Jon’s heroic actions. Use the extra for your future! God bless you!”
Seattle Pacific University has created a “Rise Above” Fund to “remember and rise above the tragedy of June 5 by supporting those directly affected and meeting special needs from across our community.”
A fundraising page to cover the costs of Paul Lee’s funeral and Sarah Williams’ medical care is nearing $13,000. Another page started by Williams’ friends had raised over $5,000. More donations are expected.
Williams was upgraded to stable condition Sunday evening at Harborview Medical Center, a hospital spokeswoman said. The other injured student has been released from the hospital.
The Associated Press contributed to this report