Having very recently pointed out the growing epidemic of "online begging," [3]seeing a mother use an online donation platform to raise funds to "lay her son to rest" seems like a laudible and donation-worthy cause. However, as ABC7 reports, [4] the 'grieving' mother of murdered Chicago 9-year-old Tysham Lee used the funds to purchase a 2015 Chrysler 200 and after facing a torrent of abuse attempted to defend her seemingly callous act - "Y'all don't know nothing about me."
As ABC7 reports, [4]
The mother of a 9-year-old boy fatally shot earlier this week is being accused of spending money donated through a GoFundMe effort intended for funeral expenses on a new car.
Karla Lee strongly denies the claim and commented on those who have taken to social media to criticize her.
The mother of slain Tyshawn Lee says it's simply not true. She said she did not use money donated to help pay for her son's funeral to buy a new car.
Karla Lee posted several videos to Instagram Saturday morning after a flurry of social media posts accused her of using money from her son’s GoFundMe account to buy the car. Lee says she used her own money.
The emotional 26-year-old says she bought the car to protect herself so she wouldn't become a target by walking or taking the bus.
"I told them I was scared and I was fearing," she said. "Too bad if y'all don't understand that."
“I got this s*** for my protection…I’m pretty sure that’s something my son would have wanted me to do,” she said in one of the videos. In another video, she says she was afraid of being targeted if she took public transportation.
"Y'all don't know nothing about me," she said. "For y'all to be bashing me like that, and I just lost my child."
Lee is defending herself after heavy criticism on social media accusing her of using donated money from a GoFundMe page. While she admits to buying a car, she says she used her own money to make the down payment for the 2015 Chrysler 200.
Lee said the controversy began after the dealership where she bought the car posted her purchase on Facebook without her knowledge. The post was deleted after negative reactions by supporters who donated.
"Once again, it just looks offsetting that out of nowhere you're driving around in a new car," said Aundra Lewis.
More than $17,000 was raised in four days through the donation page, which was created by a friend of Lee's to "Help Karla lay her son to rest."
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We have no comment, the story speaks for itself. One can only imagine in this mother's mind, a brand new Chrysler was considered 'deserved, fair' given the loss of her son.
