Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
Young hero in Seattle shooting showered with love, donations
SEATTLE — In the days since Aaron Ybarra opened fire on the Seattle Pacific University campus, killing one student and wounding two, Jon Meis has been dubbed a hero.
After the story of the 22-year-old electrical engineering student’s bravery spread, well-wishers bought out all the gifts on his registry — he is to be married this month — and donated thousands of dollars on a crowdfunding site. Meis hit the shooter with pepper spray as he stopped to reload at a university hall.
When local ESPN radio executive producer Jessamyn McIntyre shared a tweet about Meis’ wedding registry, some of her 6,000-plus followers asked her if therewere otherways to showsupport.
“I was thinking about all the people who wanted to show their gratitude,” McIntyre said. “Five thousand dollars seemed like a reasonableamountofmoneyto raise.”
Her expectations have been surpassed, she said. “The money has just been astounding.” By late Sunday afternoon, donors had left more than $43,000.
McIntyre, 32, created the GoFundMe.com crowdfunding campaign to help Meis and Kaylie Sparks go on a honeymoon and plan their future. To respect his family’s desire for privacy, McIntyre said she plans to get the money to him through a university intermediary.
One donor left this comment, along with $50: “Thank you for standing up, doing the right thing, selflessly. Because of you, people lived, will go on to get married, pursue their dreams, do things big and small to make this world a better place.”
Paul Lee, a 19-year-old SPU freshman from Portland, Ore., was killed in Thursday’s shooting. Sarah Williams, 19, from Phoenix, and Thomas Fowler Jr., 24, of Seattle, were wounded. Fowler was released Friday, while Williams remains in serious condition at HarborviewMedical Center.