After Daunte Wright’s 2021 death, a GoFundMe raised about $1.04 million (Image Credit: Stephen Maturen/ Getty Images)
What began as a public effort to support Daunte Wright’s family after his death later became a dispute over more than $1 million in donations. A GoFundMe campaign launched following Wright’s fatal shooting in Minnesota in 2021 raised $1,039,207 from nearly 29,000 donors. But in October 2022, Chyna Whitaker, the mother of Wright’s only child, filed a lawsuit alleging that her son had been promised a share of the money but received none. Daunte Wright, 20, was fatally shot by former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter during a traffic stop on April 11, 2021. The campaign set a fundraising goal of $1.1 million. It ultimately collected $1,039,207 through nearly 29,000 donations, according to the GoFundMe page. In 2022, the City of Brooklyn Center agreed to a $3.25 million settlement with Wright’s family.
Because whitaker’s lawsuit alleged that she had separately been promised a specific share for her son, this became significant.
The lawsuit also said the fundraiser referred to Wright’s infant son and that the money would help support him and the wider family. Donations would help the Wright family with funeral and burial costs, mental health and grief counselling, family support and efforts to seek justice, according to the GoFundMe page. It said the parents would manage and spend the money and described them as having ownership rights over the funds collected.
The Minnesota court complaint alleged that half of the fundraiser proceeds had been promised to the child. His death prompted an outpouring of public attention and support for his family. A GoFundMe campaign called the “Daunte Wright Sr. Memorial Fund” was created after his death. Kelly Bryant, Wright’s aunt, was listed as the organiser, while Arbuey Wright was named as the beneficiary. The campaign described several intended uses for the money, including funeral and burial expenses, mental health and grief counselling, family support and efforts to seek justice following Wright’s death. It also mentioned Wright’s son and the need to support him following his father’s death. However, the page also stated that the funds would be transferred to an account designated by Wright’s parents. The GoFundMe dispute was separate from another major financial matter connected to Wright’s death. The settlement was not part of the GoFundMe campaign. It resulted from a separate legal matter involving the city and Wright’s family.
Why the case drew attention
In Wright’s case, nearly 29,000 people donated more than $1 million through a campaign that described support for his family and young son. The dispute illustrates the complications that can arise when large public fundraisers are created following a death and different people have different understandings about how the money will be used. The fundraiser also gave Wright’s parents control over the account and the collected funds. Whitaker’s lawsuit alleged that she had been given separate assurances that half of the money would belong to her son.