HOPEWELL, Va. -- A Hopewell mother who lost her daughter in a 2022 drive-by shooting is now suing one of her city council members claiming he mishandled funds he raised for her and her grieving family.
Brionna Taylor's eight-year-old daughter P'Aris Moore was killed in December while riding a bike, just days before her ninth birthday.
The shooting sparked a community-wide push to stop gun violence, prompting vigils and marches through the Hopewell community.
Among those in attendance was Hopewell City Council Member, Dominic Holloway Sr.
On Dec. 31, Holloway set up a GoFundMe account to raise money for the family.
The fundraiser received 296 donations, raising a total of $15,577. The fundraiser was previously shared on CBS 6's website.
Court documents suggest Taylor and her five other children did not get all of the money due from the fundraiser.
In June, Taylor filed a warrant in debt in Hopewell General District Court, claiming Holloway still owes her $5,600, saying she did not receive the money. The court documents say the money went into Holloway's bank account, reading: "He mentioned child support took the money out of his account for personal matters."
Taylor told CBS 6 that Holloway had previously given her more than $6,000 from the GoFundMe, and another portion of the funds had gone toward events to honor Moore's memory.
GoFundMe does let fundraiser organizers add beneficiaries to receive funds directly to their own bank account, but that's not what happened in this case.
According to records obtained by CBS 6, on Jan. 16, Taylor granted GoFundMe permission via email to allow Holloway to withdraw the funds raised on her behalf, and "no further information was requested."
Taylor is not commenting further on the case at this time.
Holloway told CBS6 he is also not commenting but would share a statement at a later date.
"My husband and I donated. It's unbelievable that someone would do this, let alone the councilman for Ms. Taylor's ward," Susan Dayle, of Hopewell, said.
A spokesperson with GoFundMe confirmed the fundraiser is under review and the group's Trust & Safety team has reached out to the organizer for more information.
"We have zero tolerance for the misuse of our platform and will cooperate with law enforcement investigations of those accused of wrongdoing," the spokesperson said.
The fundraiser is no longer taking donations. GoFundMe did not receive any prior reports about the fundraiser.
The lawsuit is scheduled to be heard on August 2.
This is a developing story, so anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.
