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A GoFundMe page said Andrea Laign was the victim of the afternoon Asbury Avenue stabbing on Monday, Sept. 2. The fundraiser called her a "beloved member of our creative family" in the city.
The GoFundMe had raised more than $4,200 from at least 59 donations as of Thursday, Sept. 5.
"It is devastating that this sweet, talented, light-filled soul is a victim of such a violent crime," wrote Michaela Murray, the fundraiser's organizer. "In the coming months, she will need assistance with medical and living expenses before she can return to her love of photography and her creation of beautiful art."
Travis Cavanaugh of Asbury Park was arrested in the unprovoked stabbing on the 500 block of Asbury Avenue. The 29-year-old was charged with first-degree attempted murder and two weapons offenses.
Investigators said Cavanaugh approached Laign from behind and continued to stab her until a witness stopped him. Officers found Laign suffering from several stab wounds and bystanders were giving her aid.
Laign was rushed to Jersey Shore University Medical Center and was listed in critical condition at the Neptune hospital. Cavanaugh was held in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution.
Laign's photography website showcases pictures of gorgeous sunrises and sunsets on beaches along the Jersey Shore. She also displays other artistic photos of Asbury Park with the caption "enchantment from this little city by the sea that called me home."
2024 calendars created by Laign also featured some of her photos around Asbury. About $400 from calendar sales went to the Wooden Walls Project, a public arts initiative in the city.
Laign's artwork had also recently gained attention hundreds of miles down the coast in South Carolina. Her Facebook page showed photos she took in Garden City Beach, a coastal community near Myrtle Beach on 60 miles of oceanfront called the Grand Strand.
The posts from Palmetto State included captions like "finding beauty in mother nature’s mood swings" and "i sea something different every time".
According to her LinkedIn profile, Laign is also an "Emmy Award-winning writer/producer for broadcast and web." Her biography said she had worked in creative services positions at several local news stations across the country among other roles with online media outlets.
Anyone with information about the stabbing should call the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office at 800-533-7443 or the Asbury Park Police Department at 732-774-1300.
You can click here to see Andrea Laign's GoFundMe page.
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