The Department of Justice revealed on Wednesday that it had agreed upon a $144.5 million settlement — “in principle” — with the more than 75 plaintiffs who had brought claims against the DOJ in relation to the horrifying mass shooting that took place in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in November 2017, leaving 26 worshipers dead and injured 22 others.
The claims alleged that the Air Force negligently neglected to provide information about the shooter, Devin Patrick Kelly, to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which would have stopped him from purchasing a weapon from a government-licensed dealer.In connection with the planned settlement, the DOJ made an official announcement:
“Today, the Justice Department announced a preliminary agreement to settle civil cases stemming from the devastating November 2017 mass shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs, Texas, which killed 26 worshippers while injuring 22 others.”
“These tentative settlements will settle the claims brought by more than 75 plaintiffs in connection with the shooting. Plaintiffs’ cases claimed that the Air Force had been negligent in failing to send information about the shooter to the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), which would have stopped him from buying guns from a government-registered firearms dealer. A federal district judge in Texas ruled that the United States was responsible for the shooting’s consequences. The outstanding appeals would be resolved by this preliminary settlement.”
“The preliminary agreement would settle all the claims for a total of $144.5 million. The settlement deal has been authorized, pending the claimants obtaining the necessary judicial approvals. A judge must accept some elements of the settlements under applicable legislation.”
“No words or amount of money will minimize the enormity of the Sutherland Springs mass shooting,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Today’s announcement concludes the litigation, bringing an end to a painful chapter for the victims of this unspeakable crime.”
“The NICS is critical in combating gun violence, and the federal government is constantly working to improve its operation. As part of its overall violent crime reduction plan, the department continues to aggressively fight gun violence.”
A federal district judge in Texas has already held the United States liable, as stated in the statement. The agreement ends the ongoing challenges. Because a number of the settlements will presumably require judicial permission before they can be finalized, the settlement is presumably labeled as “in principle.” (Typically, court approval is required for wrongful death settlements as well as for settlements involving minors.)
Author: Blake Ambrose
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