Austin Bombings: How You Can Help Victims' Families

AUSTIN, TX — By the time the Austin serial bomber blew himself to elude police capture Wednesday morning, he had left a trail of suffering in his wake. His campaign of terror claimed the lives of a family man who leaves behind an eight-year-old daughter, and a musically proficient teenager robbed of a promising future.

Other victims include 75-year-old Esperanza Herrera, among those receiving packages that exploded upon being handled. The mother of a teenager killed in one of the blasts also was injured. Two bicyclists inadvertently tripped a wire on another one of the bomber's lethal packages, sustaining minor injuries in the process.

Emerging in tragedy's wake are crowdsourcing drives on GoFundMe and YouCaring designed to assist families defray funeral and medical costs for victims. Anthony Stephan House, 39, was the first victim after he opened a package at his East Austin home on March 2. Three days later, another deadly delivery would kill Draylen Mason, 17, a promising young musician who had been admitted to the University of Texas at Austin before his life was cut short while also injuring his mom. The same day, Herrera was hospitalized after handling another parcel bombs, sustaining serious injuries from which she continues to recover.

Four others were injured in the series of blasts emanating from packages intentionally triggered to detonate.

A fundraising drive for House — affectionately known as "Steph" to his friends and loved ones — has, at last check, raised $43,515 of a $45,000 goal collected among 975 people. The money collected will help defray mounting bills facing his family in the wake of his death, the organizer of the drive explained.

"Steph was a giving, generous, and loving husband and father as well as a beloved son, brother, uncle, and friend to many," a GoFundMe page built in House's memory reads. "His death has left his wife and their young daughter traumatized by his loss as well as emotionally devastated. His wife will now have to face life as a single parent as well as reassemble her home and finances to now raise their daughter alone."

The money collected will be used by House's widow to use as she sees fit to keep the family household going, the page details.

"Even with insurances, savings, etc., finances will be tough for his wife and daughter as they attempt to put their lives back together without Stephan," the page reads. "There are many unexpected bills now due to the crime (medical, funeral, etc.) as well as damage to their home that must be repaired, etc. Any financial help that we can give his wife and daughter to help them in financially recovering from this unimaginable loss would be so helpful and greatly appreciated by them."

A second fund was launched by the victim's mother, specifically designed to benefit the man's daughter “to help secure her future,” according to the information on the page. The fundraiser had raised more than $19,734 of $50,000 goal as of early Thursday.

"This unforeseen tragedy has left his dreams for his wife, who is a local school teacher, and his 8-year-old baby girl shattered, replaced only with heartbreaking uncertainty," House's mother wrote on the page.

Anthony Stephan House, via GoFundMe

Photo of House hugging his daughter via GoFundMe

Also especially heartbreaking was the death of Mason. a teenager who's life was cut short after he opened one of the parcel bombs. The young man's musical gifts had led to his being accepted to enroll at UT-Austin's Butler School of Music. The young musician already had distinguished himself in the youth orchestra program Austin Soundwaves, a group that provides free music instruction to artistically underserved children, particularly in East Austin.

In a statement to the student-run UT-Austin newspaper Daily Texan, university spokesman J.B. Bird spoke to the considerable achievement of the young man in having been accepted to the school's prestigious music program: "This was an accomplishment to be proud of," Bird wrote while expressing condolences to his family. "Admission to the school is highly competitive."

The dean of the College of Fine Arts, Doug Dempster, conveyed to the Daily Texan how eager he had been to help shepherd Mason's musical career before seeing his promising life cut short. "He was every inch a musician. He carried himself with a kind of quiet maturity that belied his youth."

Former Austin Council Member Mike Martinez also had the chance to meet Mason, expressing his own condolences while re-posting a photo them together on his Facebook page.

"I had the honor to meet Draylen Mason in 2013 after he won the Hispanic Bar essay contest,” Martinez wrote. “His essay was on racial profiling and was so insightful and mature for such a young man. All of these tragedies are so horrible for our community. We must put a stop to this. RIP Draylen.”

The young man previously participated in the Winedale Festival of Play, a UT-Austin program showcasing children's performances of plays by William Shakespeare, whose work Mason was known to admire.

The YouCaring drive benefiting his family has far exceeded its original $25,000 goal, collecting $$110,899 among more than 3,000 donors.

Draylen Mason via YouCaring

"Draylen Mason, a disciple of Christ, musician, aspiring neurosurgeon, and black belt martial artist ascended to his Heavenly Father at the age of 17 due to a senseless package bomb left on his doorstep by a lost soul," the page meant to defray costs for his funeral reads. "Draylen was preparing for his morning workout with his mother, Shamika Wilson, when they both became victims. His grandmother, Sandra Jones, watched as he took his last breath."

Others wounded in the serial bomber's attacks include Mason’s mother, Shamika Wilson, and Herrera, who was injured the same day in a separate bombing. Two bicyclists are now in good condition after having inadvertently triggered another package set up on the street along Dawn Song Drive in Southwest Austin on March 18.

Herrera, the oldest of the victims, continues to recover from serious, life-threatening injuries. She was injured after handling a parcel bomb delivered to her East Austin home on March 12 after being blasted with metal shrapnel. Among her injuries: Both legs broken; shattered kneecap; broken patella in her left leg; broken right arm; two amputated fingers; and minor face wounds, primarily to her cheek and chin.

Esperanza Herrera via GoFundMe

According to a GoFundMe page set up to defray her medical costs, Herrera's 93-year-old mother was in the house when the explosion occurred but was unharmed. The page indicates Herrera was her mother's primary caregiver prior to the explosion that left her injured.

At last check, the page set up for Herrera had collected $15,053 of an $85,000 goal.

Herrera with her mother, Maria Moreno

To donate to the Anthony Stephan House fund, click here.

To donate to fund benefiting House's daughter, click here.

To donate to the Draylen Mason Memorial fund, click here.

To help Esperanza Herrera pay medical bills click here.

>>> Photos via YouCaring and GoFundMe, a Patch promotional partner