Sutherland Springs church shooting victims say they reached $144m settlement with Justice Department

Victims of the 2017 mass shooting that left 26 people dead at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, on Wednesday said they reached a "tentative" $144.5 million settlement with the Justice Department. 

If Attorney General Merrick Garland approves the agreement, it would end a multi-year legal battle that started after a federal judge ruled in 2021 that the U.S. government holds some responsibility for the tragedy because it did not submit the gunman's criminal record into a database that could have prevented him from buying firearms, NBC News reported.

"These families fought for justice, endured and won two trials against the federal government and made this country safer as a result. But the settlement is not final," said Jamal Alsaffar, the lead trial attorney representing the victims.

"Attorney General Garland’s office still must approve it, and we urge his Justice Department to act quickly to bring some closure to these families. It’s the least they deserve."

In the original ruling, a judge ordered the government to pay $230 million after he found the Air Force did not report the arrest and court-martial of gunman Devin Kelley to the FBI as required. This could have prevented Kelley from purchasing the weapons he used in the massacre at First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs.

The Justice Department appealed the 2021 ruling and argued that even if Kelley's history was reported, he could have bought weapons in another manner.

The tentative settlement will be given to more than 80 survivors and relatives of the victims. The government has not commented publicly on the victims' announcement as of press time.