After reaching Florida to be reunited with her family, Ariana Grande has reportedly offered to cover funeral costs for the lives lost in the Manchester attack.
Claims surfaced Tuesday (May 23) from a fan account “@ArianaDailyWW.” The page shared the 23-year-old reached out to the families of victims killed Monday evening (May 22), when a suicide bomber detonated a device right after the singer’s concert at the Manchester Arena. No other details were released, but fans have praised the singer for the presumed act.
https://twitter.com/ArianaDailyWW/status/867157656271802369
In all, 22 people and 59 others were injured during the attack, with one victim only 8-years-old. Many attendees were teens and were with parents and friends to see the “One Last Time” singer with opening acts Bia and Victoria Monet. The suicide bomber has been identified as 22-year-old Salman Abedi.
In addition to first responders, many have hailed the singer’s mom Joan as a hero for guiding as many as 10 children backstage after the explosion was heard at the concert.
Chris Parker, who is homeless, has also seen support for carrying children to safety. “It knocked me to the floor and then I got up and instead of running away my gut instinct was to run back and try and help,” Parker told The Sun UK.“I saw a little girl … she had no legs. I wrapped her in one of the merchandise T-shirts and I said, ‘Where is your mum and daddy?’ She said, ‘My dad is at work, my mum is up there.’”
Stephen Jones, who is also homeless, told reporters he pulled nails from a girl’s face. “It’s just instinct to go and help if someone needs your help and it was children,” he said. “It was a lot of children with blood all over them – crying and screaming.” A GoFundMe has been created for Jones and has raised a total of £30,501 (USD $34,139).
Grande is scheduled to perform Thursday (May 25) at London’s O2 Arena.
Fans have continued to spread well wishes to the victims and the singer with the hashtags, #PrayForManchester, #StayStrongAriana and #ThisIsNotYouFaultAriana.