According to a statement, all cases were resolved for $127.5 million.
The statement by the DOJ stated that “The settlement does no amount to an admission or fault by the United States.”
These payments are the final settlement of numerous civil lawsuits against the U.S. government for damages resulting from the Parkland shooting.
Nikolas Cruz entered Florida school on February 14th with an AR-15 semiautomatic gun and shot many victims while his classmates fled and hid. Cruz shot and killed 14 students, three staff members, and took seven minutes to stop. School administrators claim that Cruz was expelled from school for his violent and disturbing behavior a year prior.
After learning that Cruz was a tip to the FBI five weeks prior to the shooting, the victims’ families and several survivors sued the government. Unnamed caller reported that Cruz had bought guns and was going “slip in to a school and shoot the place up,” but this information was not shared with local authorities.
The caller stated to the FBI that he knew he was going to explode.
According to settlement paperwork the plaintiffs stated that they would dismiss their case once “all settlement funds” have been received. They also requested a 45-day extension in order to permit the Treasury Department to issue payments. According to a joint status statement, the Treasury has already paid one case and the remainder of the funds are still in progress.
Broward County’s school district in Florida announced December that it would pay more $26 million to the victims of the shooting.
Cruz pleaded guilty in October 2021 to 17 counts of first degree murder. He now faces either a life sentence or the death penalty. CBS Miami currently reports that Cruz’s sentencing will take place on April 4.
