Over $ 2 Million Raised For Sons Of Woman Killed In Atlanta Spa Shooting

More than $ 2 million has been raised for the two sons of a woman killed in one of three spa shootings in the Atlanta area.

Randy Park, 23, set up a GoFundMe account on Thursday to raise money for rent, food and other expenses after his mother, Hyun Jung Grant, 51, was killed on Tuesday. Grant was one of nine victims of the Atlanta and Cherokee County spa shootings.

“She was one of my best friends and the biggest influence on who we are today,” Park wrote on GoFundMe. “Even though I want to cry and deal with the reality that she’s gone, I have a younger brother to care for and issues to resolve as a result of this tragedy.

Park had set himself a goal of raising $ 20,000. But on Saturday, the account, which GoFundMe verified, had grossed more than $ 2.4 million. Park expressed his gratitude in a touching message.

“I don’t know how a word I write here can ever express how grateful and blessed I am to receive so much support,” he said, writing that his family has had “a second chance”.

According to the GoFundMe page, more than 63,000 people have donated money to Park and his brother.

“To those of you who donated money. To put it bluntly, I can’t believe you existed,” Park wrote. “People that I will probably never meet, hear, or express my thanks. It’s just a change in my life. Thank you all very much. It doesn’t even represent a fragment of how I feel. “

Park, who works as a cashier at a bakery, told NBC News that he and his younger brother grew up in Seattle with their mother. She moved them south about 13 years ago for a better life and because of Atlanta’s rich Korean history.

Grant worked long days and usually slept at the spa where she worked in Atlanta instead of driving the 30 miles to Duluth, where the family lived.

“She has spent her whole life existing for my brother and me. She never had time to travel, ”Park said in an interview on Friday. “She would only come home a certain number of days every few weeks.”

Park said in the GoFundMe post that her mother can now “rest easy knowing that I have the support of the world with me.”

Eight people, including Grant, were killed Tuesday by a gunman who opened fire on two spas in Atlanta and one in Cherokee County. A man was injured in the shooting and is currently in hospital.

The alleged shooter, a 21-year-old man from Woodstock, was arrested and charged with eight counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault.