A church youth leader in Tennessee was severely injured after an unidentified man broke into his home in Smyrna and doused him with an "extremely corrosive acid."
Christopher Phiouthong, who works at a Salvation Army church in Nashville, sustained serious burns over half of his body and was left permanently blind after he was attacked in his own home on April 5.
Police reported that the break-in occurred while Phiouthong was alone and was taking a shower. He was sent to the hospital in critical condition.
Residents in the Summer Ridge subdivision have expressed their distress and unease following the terrifying incident.
"It's very horrific. Hopefully it's something the police detectives and police department is working to solve at this very moment," Clarence Crawley, a neighbor of Phiouthong, told WKRN.
Crawley, who has lived in the subdivision for only two months, described the neighborhood as "very quiet," with "[v]ery low crime; low crime to no crime."
"People are wanting to know what happened. Was this young man targeted? Was it random? Is a guy going around throwing acid on people, breaking into people's houses?" Crawley added.
Phiouthong's pastor, Lt. Alyssa Irvin, said that she is "in shock that someone would do this to a godly man."
"He's passionate about Christian hip-hop music and dancing. He is a choreographer. And he loves the Lord and he is dedicated to making sure that the younger generation grows up having that same love for the Lord," Irvin said, according to ABC News.
Phiuthong's parents, who are also Salvation Army workers, previously lived in Nashville for 13 years but are now living in Thailand as missionaries.
Irvin said that Phiuthong had worked at the church for most of his life, following in the footsteps of his parents.
The Salvation Army youth leader has since undergone several surgeries in the week since the attack, according to Irvin. However, family members say that Phiuthong will need more surgeries before he can recover. A crowfunding page has been set up to help him pay his medical bills, which are likely to be significant.
The GoFundMe page noted that Phiuthong needs financial assistance despite being supported by his family and community because he does not have medical insurance. As of April 14, the campaign has garnered $54,548 from 1,150 donors, just four days after it was launched. Apart from monetary donations, Phiuthong's family is also asking for prayers.
