ST. LOUIS — Monetary donations and other resources have been raised for victims impacted by the tragic shooting at Central Visual and Performing Arts High School in south St. Louis in October.
In addition, thanks to the medical care at St. Louis Children's Hospital and the generous gifts from Project Shine, a student who was shot and wounded during the shooting is making art again.
Stephanie Malia Krauss, the godmother of 15-year-old Brian Collins, showed Brian making art in a Twitter post Tuesday, just three weeks after surviving a bullet going through both of his hands.
"A huge step towards healing!" she said.
On Oct. 26, VonDina Washington, Brian's mother, dealt with a pain no parent should ever experience, witnessing her child suffering from gunshot wounds, only the beginning of her family's hardship.
She was at home comforting her son, an aspiring artist who loves to draw.
The gunman who stormed into health class at the high school on Monday shot Collins in both his hands and his face before the teen and other students jumped out of a window to escape.
He killed one student, and one teacher, and then died at a hospital after a shootout with police.
"It's been a mix of emotions...from fear...a lot of anxiety...a lot of trauma...to gratefulness," Washington said. "My baby was looking into the face of a shooter as he was shooting."
The family has already started to see the support they will need for Collins’ long road to recovery.
More than $185,000 has been raised through GoFundMe to help with the teen’s medical bills. That surpassed the family's goal of $100,000.
Washington said others reached out about clothes and meal support for the family.
"I'm just grateful. I just thank God. I hate that I had to get it this away, but I just thank God for the number of people that are pouring into my family right now," she said.
Collins' classmate Alexzandria Bell, who administrators said was well on her way to touching the world before she died, is also on the minds of donors.
“Just a wonderful personality...pretty serious student," Principal Dr. Kacy Seals-Shahid said during a press conference on Tuesday. "She was working on how to advocate in a most student manner and diplomatic manner I would say that she was working on that as well."
She also said in a helpless moment, these resources have been a token of reassurance.
“Stay encouraged," Washington said. "I know what it looks like right now, but we don't know what God's plan is next.”
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