The first victim of Sunday's deadly severe weather has been identified as a fourth grade student at Lee-Scott Academy.
Taylor Thornton was killed in the storm, the school said in a Facebook post.
"Our hearts at Lee-Scott Academy are broken this morning," the school said on its Facebook page. "Please pray for the Thornton family, our students, faculty, and staff during this difficult time."
Search and rescue operations resumed this morning after emergency personnel were forced to call off efforts Sunday night because of darkness and dangerous debris.
At least 23 people are dead after at least one strong tornadoes ripped through southern Lee County Sunday, Lee County Sheriff Jay Jones told The Plainsman.
A GoFundMe fundraising campaign has been launched to benefit the Thornton family and to help pay for Taylor's funeral costs.
"Words don’t even come close to imagining the pain they are enduring," the campaign reads. "Taylor was an amazing example of a child of God. She brought so much joy to all that knew her. She was loved dearly and will forever be missed."
As of 11:45 a.m., the fundraiser had already surpassed its $15,000 goal. More than $19,000 has been donated by 314 people in the course of three hours.
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Chip Brownlee, senior in journalism and political science, is the editor-in-chief of The Auburn Plainsman.
