A US federal judge on Monday ordered the Air Force to pay more than $230 million in damages to survivors and relatives of victims of a Texas shooting in 2017. The reason? Not having reported the criminal record of the perpetrator of the attack.
Twenty-six people were killed and 22 others were injured when Devin Patrick Kelley opened fire at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, in November 2017, the worst mass shooting in the state’s history.
“The government has not exercised reasonable caution”
Kelley, a convicted felon, had a history of domestic violence and mental health issues. He was found dead after the tragedy, after turning his gun on himself. Families of victims and survivors were suing the US government, claiming it could have stopped the shooter from legally acquiring firearms.
“The Court found that the government failed to exercise reasonable care in its endeavor to submit Kelley’s criminal history to the FBI and that the government was liable for 60% of the plaintiffs’ injuries,” reads the statement. judgement.