Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

November 22, 2008 11:32:05 CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Judge OKs $11M Settlement for Va. Tech Families

Posted Jun 18, 08 7:44 CDT in Crime & Courts,  US 

(Newser) – A Virginia judge yesterday approved an $11 million settlement with 42 families of those killed or injured in last year's Virginia Tech shootings, the Washington Post reports. The families sued after a panel concluded that lives might have been saved if the university contacted students immediately after the first shootings. Instead, 2.5 hours passed before an email warning was sent, just 10 minutes before the second rampage, which claimed 32 lives.

The settlement, which eliminates any further legal action, includes $100,000 and medical expenses for each family. Some families expressed dissatisfaction and called for further investigation into the state and university roles in the April 16, 2007, shootings. "This has nothing to do with money and everything to do with seeking the truth and complete accountability," said one parent of a slain student.  

Source Washington Post

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Virginia Tech Families, State Reach $11M Deal

    Apr 10, 08 1:09 PM CDT
    Virginia Tech Families, State Reach $11M Deal Victims’ families in the Virginia Tech shootings have settled with the state for $11 million in a deal to prevent future lawsuits, lawyers said today. The lawyers, who represented 21 families, are mum on details pending finalization, reports the Roanoke Times. At least 20 families had earlier warned they might sue over the tragedy last April 16, when student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 and wounded more at the school before killing himself. More »

  • $100K Virginia Tech Offer Slammed as 'Insult' to Victims

    Mar 25, 08 3:20 CDT
    $100K Virginia Tech Offer Slammed as 'Insult' to Victims The state of Virginia is offering $100,000 to each family of the 32 students and teachers killed by a lone gunman in the Virginia Tech massacre, the Virginian-Pilot reports. If accepted, the settlement would prevent families from suing the state for negligence. One attorney called the offer "for a human life an insult, an absolute insult." More »

  • Va. Tech, NIU Gun Dealer: Arm Students

    Mar 5, 08 1:29 PM CST
    Va. Tech, NIU Gun Dealer: Arm Students Eric Thompson sold guns to both the Northern Illinois University and Virginia Tech shooters, but he’s not apologizing for it. “I’m a businessman,” he tells the Los Angeles Times. “It’s a product.” But Thompson thinks he knows how to stop such violence: allow students to carry guns. “We know it’s going to happen again. It’s time to hit it head on.” More »

  • Va. Tech to Turn Shooting Site into Peace Studies Center

    Dec 20, 07 6:20 PM CST
    Va. Tech to Turn Shooting Site into Peace Studies Center Virginia Tech's Norris Hall will soon house the university's new Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention, in an effort to keep alive the memory of those who died in that building during the April 16 massacre. School officials announced the plan today, after a several months-long deliberation about how to use the massive, 4,300 square foot building, the Washington Post reports. More »

  • Virginia Tech Massacre 'Could Have Been Stopped'

    Aug 30, 07 5:35 CDT
    Virginia Tech Massacre 'Could Have Been Stopped' A state investigation into the Virginia Tech massacre, in which 33 students and teachers were killed, concluded that college authorities could have saved lives by acting more quickly to warn students after the first shootings. The report, released last night after the New York Times obtained a copy,  also criticizes the college's failure to insure that gunman Seung-Hui Cho received counseling after a mental-hospital stay. More »

The father of a Virginia Tech shooting victim speaks to media after a judge approved an $11 million state settlement, which will avoid a court battle over whether anyone but the gunman was to blame.   (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Mona Samaha, holds back tears as she listens during a news conference with her husband Joseph, right, concerning the Virginia Tech settlement in Richmond, Va., Tuesday, June 17, 2008.   (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
Andrew Goddard, father of wounded Virginia Tech student, Colin Goddard, comforts Suzanne Grimes, mother of injured student Kevin Sterne, during a news conference concerning the Virginia Tech settlement...   (AP Photo/Steve Helber)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 4)

Tags

school shooting • Virginia Tech shootings • settlement • Virginia Tech • Seung-Hui Cho • Virginia Tech massacre • wrongful death


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other US Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »