EXCLUSIVE - GoFundMe removes page set up by Arlington school shooter's family asking for $25,000 because HE'S 'traumatized' - two days after he shot a 15-year-old AND a teacher
GoFundMe has removed an account set up by friends and family of Arlington school shooter Timothy Simpkins where they asked for $25,000 from the public to help him, claiming he is traumatized from his father's death.
A spokesman told on Friday: 'The fundraiser was removed from the platform because it violated GoFundMe Terms of Service.'
'Less than $150 was raised and all donors have been refunded.'
Simpkins, 18, critically injured 15-year-old Zacchaeus Selby and also wounded 25-year-old teacher Calvin Pettitt - whom he shot in the back - when he opened fire at Timberview High School in Arlington, Texas, on Wednesday.
Selby remains in the hospital, clinging to life after being shot four times, his family said.
Seconds before the fight, the pair brawled in their classroom. The fight was caught on video. It was eventually broken up by teachers.
Simpkins fled the scene then handed himself in to police. He was released Thursday after a bail bondsman put up at least some of his $75,000 bail.
His family have claimed that he is an innocent victim of bullying who acted in self-defense after being relentlessly picked on, in part because he has 'nice things' like a Dodge Charger and expensive sneakers.
A GoFundMe page was launched Thursday night by Dallas attorney Kim T. Cole, asking the public to give money to help Simpkins.
This GoFundMe page was set up Thursday night by Kim T. Cole, a lawyer who routinely launches such fundraisers. It had a goal of $25,000 and included a statement from Timothy Simpkins' mother
The fundraiser has a goal of $25,000. It had raised $150 before it was shut down by GoFundMe
The GoFundMe page included a lengthy statement from the shooter's mother saying how Timothy needed therapy
The page included a lengthy statement from his mother, Katrina, which reads: 'Many of you have seen the video of the brutal beating Timothy Simpkins received. He never even returned a blow. He simply balled up and covered his head trying to protect himself.'
'What you don't know is that Timothy was robbed at gunpoint and stripped of his possessions a couple of weeks ago,' she wrote. 'And the unfortunate backstory is that Timothy's father was brutally beaten to death. This fact definitely heightened Timothy's fear for his life.'
'Not to mention that the young man responsible for beating and harassing him made had recently made threats to kill him so you see, my son was terrified and believed he would be murdered just like his father.'
She said that while she is 'not suggesting taking a gun to school was the right choice', there is 'so much more to the story'.
'My son has gone through a very traumatic experience. He needs counseling and therapy.'
Zacchaeus Selby, 15 (left), was still in the hospital fighting for his life as of Friday after being shot four times. Teacher Calvin Pettitt, 25 (right), was shot in the back
A large group of people was seen chatting outside a home owned by Simpkins' grandmother
The house, in the Edgefield district of Arlington, was a hive of activity on Thursday
Timothy Simpkins walked out of the Tarrant County Correctional Center on Thursday afternoon after a bondsman paid some of his $75,000 bail. The 18-year-old opened fire in his classroom on Wednesday after a fight with another classmate, Zacchaeus Selby. He also shot a 25-year-old English teacher who had tried to break up the fight and grazed a teenage girl
'Please donate what you can to help,' she added.
The page attracted $150 in donations before GoFundMe shut it down for a violation of its polices.
Selby's family launched their own GoFundMe to help pay for his medical bills, which had raised more than $3,000 of its $10,000 goal as of Friday evening. He had been preparing to undergo more surgery on Friday.
Prosecutors have yet to file a case against Simpkins, who partied with his relatives after being released from jail on Thursday night.
Calvin Pettitt's sister tweeted after he was released, saying: 'How can this manage to keep getting worse?'
Simpkins' next court date has not yet been scheduled and it remains unclear where he obtained his gun.
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