A GoFundMe fundraiser campaign was created Thursday afternoon to help pay for the medical expenses of the teenage victim of Monday night’s shooting, who is referred to in the post as Marie. (It is unclear if the picture at the top of the GoFundMe page is Marie.)
Evanston Police Department Commander Ryan Glew told the RoundTable Thursday evening that the teen remains in critical condition and no arrests have yet been made.
Kotika Ferguson, one of five people who organized the GoFundMe fundraiser, wrote on the page that she hosted Monday night’s backyard gathering to celebrate her daughter’s birthday. “I decided to have a small gathering in our backyard with several of my daughter’s closest friends for her 14th birthday party,” she explained.
“The kids were excited about the cake’s design, seafood boil-up, yard games and what music they would play from their playlists,” Ferguson wrote. “The gathering started at 6 p.m. and within less than 20 minutes, an unknown, uninvited person opened gunfire over a fence into my backyard (an ongoing investigation). Multiple shots. The children that attended are traumatized because their dear friend, Marie, was shot in the neck. She is now fighting for her life.”
The fundraiser’s goal is $10,000, which Ferguson wrote is “the average hospital cost for a gunshot wound to the neck.” She said in the post that the girl’s family will face a financial burden in paying for her recovery and continued care as well as paying for support and time off of their own.
“As the shooter is still at large, this GoFundMe can provide some peace of mind and support during this unimaginable time,” Ferguson wrote. “Please donate whatever amount you feel inclined to offer and share with anyone affected by this tragic event.”
By 1:30 p.m. Friday the page showed that 164 people had donated $10,859, exceeding the original goal of $10,000.
At a press briefing Tuesday afternoon, Sergeant Kenny Carter told reporters that an unknown shooter fired “at least 10 rounds” over Ferguson’s backyard fence before running away.
“Although this does not appear to be a random act, our preliminary investigation shows that the victim was not the target of this heinous act,” Carter said Tuesday. “The investigation does not indicate a continued threat to our community.”