Families Of Victims Of Parkland High School Shooting Settle Lawsuit For USD 25 Million

The families of victims and survivors of a mass shooting at a high school in Parkland in Florida in 2018 have reached a USD-25-million settlement with the school district.

The announcement was made to reporters by the lawyer representing 52 of the families, named in local media reports as David Brill, on Monday (18th October).

Brill reportedly said that the largest shares of the money will go to the 17 families who lost people in the shooting, receiving equal amounts.

Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, where the crime took place. (Google Maps/Newsflash)

The announcement is seen as a landmark victory for the victims’ families because a Florida Supreme Court ruling had reportedly capped the maximum amount that the school district would have to pay to USD 300,000 (GBP 217,000).

However, after three and a half years of legal battles, the Broward School District has reportedly decided to pay out USD 25 million (GBP 18 million) instead.

The victims’ families claimed that the school district acted negligently and that this contributed to a former student entering the campus on Valentine’s Day in 2018 and killing 17 people while injuring 17 others, according to local media outlet the Sun Sentinel.

Nikolas Cruz, the suspect of the shooting on 14th February, 2018, in Parkland, Florida, USA, in court. (Newsflash)

Brill is quoted as having said: “It’s a fair and frankly remarkable result.”

He added: “It gives the families a measure of justice and accountability.”

Broward School District chief communications officer Kathy Koch is quoted as saying: “This continues to be pending litigation, which the District does not comment on.”

Aaron Feis, 37, one of the victims of the shooting on 14th February, 2018, in Parkland, Florida, USA. (Newsflash)

The father of one of the victims, named in reports as Andrew Pollack, whose daughter Meadow was killed in the shooting, reportedly said that the settlement is “painful money”.

He added: “It’s hard to talk about money because your daughter was murdered.”

He asked: “How could you be happy about it?”

Gina Montalto, 14, one of the victims of the shooting on 14th February, 2018, in Parkland, Florida, USA. (Newsflash)

Nikolas Jacob Cruz, now 23, is set to plead guilty, according to American media outlet Insider, with a jury due to decide whether or not he will face the death penalty at a later date.