GoFundMe for Jacob Blake raises over $1M one day after launching

A GoFundMe to support Jacob Blake and his family has raised more than $1 million just one day after the fundraising campaign was launched.

Blake, 29, was shot by Kenosha, Wis., police on Sunday. Cellphone footage of the shooting quickly went viral, showing multiple shots fired as Kenosha officers trailed the Black man as he attempted to enter his vehicle.

Three of Blake’s children were in the car at the time of the shooting. 

Blake’s family said Tuesday that the man is paralyzed from the waist down. He remains hospitalized in serious condition, and his father said there are now “eight holes” in the lower half of his body.

The GoFundMe campaign, which was launched on Monday, has raised $1,120,780 from more than 40,000 donors as of Tuesday afternoon. It has a goal of $2 million. 

“As we fight for Justice and understanding, our family has and will face many trials during this time. Jacob Blake is a loving father of 6 that deserves proper medical attention and legal representation,” the campaign, organized by Julia Jackson, said.

The description for the campaign states that the funds will go toward “Jacob’s medical bills, family expenses, legal representation, support for his children and therapy costs.”

Protests have erupted in the city of Kenosha since the Sunday shooting. Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers (D) activated the National Guard on Monday to assist law enforcement after some demonstrations turned violent earlier this week.

State officials announced Monday that the officers involved in the shooting have been placed on administrative leave. The department is investigating the shooting.

Blake’s family members, alongside their attorneys, announced Tuesday that they will file a civil lawsuit against the Kenosha Police Department. 

Prominent civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, who is representing the Blake family, said Tuesday that “we are demanding that the prosecutor arrest the officer who shot Jacob Blake.” He also called for the other officers involved in the shooting be “terminated immediately.”