Community raising money for orphaned children after murder-suicide

FREEDOM, Wyo. – A small community has put together a large effort to support the family and children left behind after law enforcement says a young mother was shot and killed by her husband Wednesday morning.

Cassandra Moon, 23, also known by her maiden name Cassie Clinger, was shot and killed Wednesday morning by her husband, 43-year-old Christopher Moon, Bonneville County Sheriff’s deputies say. Moon later took his own life while deputies were trying to talk him down.

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According to her father, Jared Clinger, Cassie was a joyful, dedicated mother to her three children: 4-and-a-half-year-old Cash, 2-and-a-half-year-old Charlie, and 5-month-old Claire.

“Cassie was a girl who lived life to the fullest, to its extremes,” Jared says. “She loved people, she loved her kids, and she loved spending time with her sisters. She worked at the clinic in Alpine, and she just loved helping people.”

Jared says Cassie struggled with her mental health for much of her life, but she had recently moved in with her parents and was in a healthy, happy spot at the time of her passing.

“She and I were best friends. I try to be with all of my girls. She moved in with us a couple of months ago as she was going through a troubling divorce, and I was there to help her, and she was there to help me,” Jared says. “Cassie was in a good spot in her life, and she’s been happy. She was just applying to start college again, and she was in a good place. I’m happy to see her go when she was in such a good place, mentally and spiritually.”

Jared says the community has shown up in droves since learning of Cassie’s passing.

“It’s been pretty overwhelming, the support that’s come in,” Jared says. “I just want to express my appreciation to everybody for their support and their love that they’ve shown.”

Cassie’s father says he wants Christopher’s family to know he feels no animosity towards them and hopes to create something good from such a tragic situation.

“Our hearts go out to his family as well. It’s a loss for everybody,” Jared says. “There’s no hard feelings of animosity towards anybody. We just need to take a bad situation and make the most of it, and take care of these kids.”

Friends of the family have organized a GoFundMe to raise funds and continue supporting the family, especially Cassie’s children.

“Cassie was a devoted mother whose love for her children knew no bounds. This fundraiser has been created to help support them during this devastating time and to honor Cassie’s life,” says the GoFundMe. “Funds raised will go toward funeral and memorial expenses for Cassie, immediate and ongoing support for Cassie’s kids, including basic needs, stability, and care, (as well as) any additional unforeseen expenses as the family navigates this profound loss.”

Click here to donate to the GoFundMe.

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