Key takeaways:
- The US Department of Justice has reached an agreement in principle to settle a lawsuit over the 2017 mass shooting at a Sutherland Springs, Texas church, paying victims and their families more than $144 million.
- The settlement will be paid out of the US Treasury’s Judgment Fund, which is a permanent, indefinite appropriation that pays judgments and awards against the federal government.
- If approved, the settlement will be the largest ever paid out of the Judgment Fund, and the largest settlement ever paid in a mass shooting case.
The US Department of Justice announced Wednesday that it has reached an agreement in principle to settle a lawsuit over the 2017 mass shooting at a Sutherland Springs, Texas church. The settlement will pay victims and their families more than $144 million.
The shooter, Devin Patrick Kelley, was a former member of the Air Force, which acknowledged after the shooting it did not relay the killer’s court martial conviction for domestic violence to the FBI. This failure to report allowed Kelley to purchase firearms legally.
The settlement will be paid out of the US Treasury’s Judgment Fund, which is a permanent, indefinite appropriation that pays judgments and awards against the federal government. The fund is not subject to annual appropriations, meaning the settlement will not require congressional approval.
The settlement agreement is subject to approval by the US District Court for the Western District of Texas. If approved, the settlement will be the largest ever paid out of the Judgment Fund. It is also the largest settlement ever paid in a mass shooting case.
The Justice Department said the settlement is a “fair and just resolution” of the claims brought by the victims and their families. The settlement will provide compensation for the victims’ pain and suffering, medical expenses, and other losses.
Be First to Comment