Posted on 04/05/2023 8:33:25 AM PDT by ChicagoConservative27
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has reached a tentative $144.5 million settlement agreement with the victims of a 2017 shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, the department announced on Wednesday.
The settlement would resolve the federal government’s drawn-out legal battle with the families of the victims and survivors of the mass shooting, after a federal judge found the government at least partially responsible for the attack.
“No words or amount of money can diminish the immense tragedy of the mass shooting in Sutherland Springs,” Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta said in a statement. “Today’s announcement brings the litigation to a close, ending a painful chapter for the victims of this unthinkable crime.”
A former member of the U.S. Air Force, Devin Kelley, opened fire at First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs during its Sunday services on Nov. 5, 2017, killing 26 people and injuring 22 more.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
A reminder that the Dims’ war on Christians didn’t start this year. It’s been going on a while.
Always conceal carry...always.
Oh, “DOJ” money. Oh, otay.
The taxpayers shouldn't be on the hook for this. The officers who failed and their superiors should be billed for it and the money paid out of a fund paid for by reducing the pay for officers in the AFSCs that were responsible for reporting this to remind them of the consequences of failing to do their jobs.
Hmm. 2017 shooting — that was while Donald was in office.
Is this settlement another way to point fingers at him ?
It would have prevented him from, legally, buying a gun.
The killer was, eventually, stopped by an armed citizen with an AR15.
U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez found the government 60 percent responsible for the attack, after the Air Force failed to report Kelley’s criminal history to the FBI.
“[T]he evidence shows that — had the Government done its job and properly reported Kelley’s information into the background check system — it is more likely than not that Kelley would have been deterred from carrying out the Church shooting,” Rodriguez said in the July 2021 ruling.
Did the government argue that background checks would simply force him to buy black market guns and not prevent the event?
Our money.
You mean DOH-J doesn’t have their own money? 🤔😁👍
Seems like the shooter fell through the cracks buying a gun if I remember correctly The Feds knew he was a nut job
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“U.S. District Judge Xavier Rodriguez found the government 60 percent responsible for the attack, after the Air Force failed to report Kelley’s criminal history to the FBI.”
If the USAF failed to report to the FBI as required by law then yes the government bears some responsibility here.
“This wasn’t “the government”, it was specific individuals in the U.S. Air Force who failed to report the shooter’s criminal history to civilian authorities.”
Yeah, sorry. That’s not even remotely arguable here. Active service military are government employees 24/7/365. What they do or don’t do in the course of their duty they do or don’t do on behalf of the government.
As a general rule, the US Government is not responsible for the negligence of its employees unless immunity is waived. It appears that’s what happened here, probably under the Federal Tort Claims Act. The AFOSI personnel who failed to report the conviction were (IMHO) criminally negligent, probably relying on the “nobody ever checks this stuff and what are the chances anything will happen” reasoning. Inexcusable.
Colonel, USAF JAGCR (Ret)
Why should these officers be indemnified for gross negligence?
There you go again, being all logical and all.
Dream on FRiend, dream on.
It is a sad state of affairs I know but it is what it is, A BIG FREAKING MESS.
There are no consequences within the military?
The USAF and the government invited liability when they said they were shielded (sovereign immunity) by the same Brady Act that they had failed to obey.
Had they obeyed the Brady Act they would have been shielded from liability.
This gives hope to the J6 political prisoners as it becomes more evident each day that the government incited the riot.
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