Sutherland Springs victims say they've reached $144.5M settlement with DOJ
NBCNov 18, 2022
Sutherland Springs Shooting Victims, DOJ Reach $144M Settlement
Image copyright:Â Associated Press [via CNN]
The Facts
The US Dept. of Justice (DOJ) has reached a tentative $144M agreement to settle claims from more than 75 plaintiffs stemming from the November 2017 mass shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas.
If the settlement is finalized, it will likely end a yearslong legal battle over the US government's responsibility for the rampage that killed 26 people and left dozens injured.
The Spin
Establishment-critical narrative
This settlement has been unjustifiably delayed and is lower than the court-ordered payment. Many people have forgotten the 2017 mass shooting, except for the Sutherland Springs survivors and families who have experienced years of additional suffering by reliving their mental and emotional trauma in open court while having no relief to cover expensive medical costs. This is a victory, but much more should have been done.
Pro-establishment narrative
Neither words nor any amount of money can ever heal the trauma caused by this tragic rampage, so the most important achievement possible was to bring this litigation to an end. The country owes these families much more than any material thing. Still, this agreement — the third in US history to pay out mass shooting victims' families — is a responsible step in the right direction.