Street politics and public discourse rarely go hand-in-hand. In the case of Sean Garthright, the individual convicted of murdering Foolio, the attempts to run up a GoFundMe for legal fees have yielded nothing except backlash. Per XXL, Garthright’s family launched the fundraiser a week after the conviction for Foolio's death with a goal of $24,000, yet couldn’t even scrape together $900.
That alone should indicate that there’s little support or empathy for Garthright in this situation, but his family’s attempt to alleviate the financial pressures has faced serious roadblocks. In a message shared on Instagram, they revealed that their attempts to raise funds have been thwarted by people reporting their page while they themselves face high levels of harassment.
“We want to address recent reports being made against Sean's GoFundMe," the statement read. "While we completely understand that not everyone will choose to support, going as far as reporting the fundraiser, sending threats, and harassing not only Sean but also his loved ones and family members is truly mean-spirited and completely out of control.”
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In the statement, the family also explained what the funds were intended for. “We have updated the GoFundMe to clarify that the funds are intended to support Sean’s family as they navigate the many emotional, financial, and personal hardships that come with the events ahead. Throughout all of this, we continue to hold sincere empathy and respect for everyone impacted by this situation. Supporting Sean does not mean we are dismissing the hurt, pain, and seriousness surrounding what has happened.”
It adds, “To those that do not support [Sean], we respectfully ask that you simply block, disengage and move forward toward causes you do support rather than hate, threats and negativity.”
