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As of Friday, nearly $5,000 had been raised on a GoFundMe page for Carla Forde's children, one of whom, despite being employed and a full-time student, requires financial assistance to support her younger siblings, according to organizer Aisha Sheikh.
Forde was shot and killed by her husband, Edward Thornton, 42, who then turned the gun on himself at their home on Chestnut Street in Pottstown, the Montgomery County DA's Office previously said.
Officers responded to the home after receiving a 911 call from a neighbor who reported a shooting.
Detectives obtained home video surveillance, which showed the couple arguing in the kitchen when Thornton began brutally beating Forde, knocking her unconscious, authorities said.
He is seen retrieving a gun from upstairs before returning to shoot her. After that, he shoots himself, officials said.
Thornton has a history of domestic violence, according to investigators.
Forde was showered with support online, with some users remembering her as a beautiful spirit and loving mother.
Others shared her story as a cautionary tale of domestic violence, highlighting the hashtags #Blackfemicide and #StopKillingBlackWomen.
"It is absolutely heartbreaking to imagine these children having to navigate their futures without their mother and will need all the emotional and financial support they can get," Sheikh wrote.
For more information on domestic abuse, contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or text "START" to 88788.
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