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.

The deal comes with the first anniversary of the massacre approaching, and "To be candid, the families are more focused on more personal things at the moment," said one lawyer. An earlier deal had proposed $100,000 for the families of each of those killed, with an $800,000 fund for those wounded; an additional $1.75 million was set aside for the victims, and a meeting with the governor was planned. (More Virginia Tech stories.)