Settlement Reached in Va. Tech Shootings

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April 11th, 2008

"Families Accept Settlement Offered by State"

A significant majority of the families of Virginia Tech shooting victims have agreed to an $11 million proposed settlement with the state, Governor Timothy M. Kaine said on Thursday.

The state proposed the settlement to avoid lawsuits over the mass killing of 32 people on the campus of Virginia Tech in April 2007. Forty families had filed a notice to sue the state.

The Agreement

Families who agreed to the proposed settlement will forfeit their right to file a lawsuit.

As part of the agreement, each victim's family will receive $100,000 and may seek additional compensation from a $1.75 million hardship fund.

An additional $800,000 was set aside for those who were injured in the shootings, with victims eligible for up to $100,000 each.

The Incident

The university has been sharply criticized over the incident, which began when mentally disturbed student Seung-Hui Cho killed two people in a dormitory. Students and employees were not informed of the shootings until about two hours later.

Cho went onto kill another 30 people before killing himself. Two dozen people were injured in the shootings.

(Source: Associated Press)

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