A memorial for Peter Wang, one of the victims of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting, sits on a bandshell stage in a park in Parkland, Florida on February 16, 2018. — AFP pic
FLORIDA, Oct 20 – Families of the victims of the 2018 school shooting in Parkland, Florida, have reached a US$25 million (RM103.8 million) settlement with the Broward County school district, according to media reports.
The agreement resolves 52 of 53 lawsuits filed by families against the district for negligence in the wake of the Valentine’s Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported, citing David Brill, an attorney for the families.
The massacre, one of the deadliest school shootings in US history, left 17 students and staff members dead.
The majority of the settlement amount will be divided between the families of those who were killed, Brill told the newspaper, though he declined to offer further details. The deal also includes families of others who were wounded or traumatised in the attack.
Brill did not immediately respond yesterday to a request for comment from Reuters.
Anthony Borges, a former student who was shot several times, will continue to pursue his own lawsuit, the newspaper reported.
The accused gunman, former Parkland student Nikolas Cruz, is expected to plead guilty in a Florida courtroom today to 17 counts of murder and 17 counts of attempted murder. Cruz, 23, still faces a possible death sentence.
Some survivors formed March for Our Lives, a gun safety organisation that advocates for stricter firearm controls, including stronger background checks and a ban on the type of assault-style rifle that Cruz legally purchased and used in the assault.
Though the settlement terms are set, the agreement is still being finalized, Brill told the Sun Sentinel. The school district said in a statement that the matter “continues to be pending litigation, which the district does not comment on.” – Reuters