KALAMAZOO, MI -- Kalamazoo mass shooting victim Tiana Carruthers remains hospitalized and is not scheduled for imminent release, Kalamazoo County Sheriff Richard Fuller said Thursday morning, March 3.
Her family has designated Fuller as their spokesman in an effort to guard her privacy and focus on her recovery, Fuller said shortly after the Feb. 20 shooting in which Tiana was one of two survivors. Six people were killed in three separate incidents, and a Cooper Township man has been charged with all of the shootings.
Wednesday night, March 2, many news outlets reported that Carruthers had been released from the hospital into rehabilitation services, information attributed to a GoFundMe page set up by a relative in Alabama who hopes to collect money for Carruthers.
Fuller said he confirmed Tiana Carruthers' continued hospitalization Thursday morning, and is scheduled to talk with the family Thursday afternoon about the GoFundMe page and its source.
Fuller said the family reaffirmed with him Tuesday their desire that all donations to Tiana continue to be directed to the HelpNow fund established by the community foundations of Kalamazoo and Battle Creek and the United Way, where online donations can be designated specifically for Carruthers.
Here is the online donation form used by HelpNow to designate victims the donor wishes to help.
Click here to support Tiana Carruthers by designating a donation to her. To select her name from the online donation form's drop down menu, first click on "support victims and their families" to access the list of individual families.
For help, call 269-962-2181.
Rosemary Parker is a reporter for MLive. Contact her at rparker3@mlive.com.