(CNN) The US Department of Justice on Wednesday announced that it had reached an “agreement in principle” to settle claims from the November 2017 shooting at a church in Sutherland Springs, Texas for $144.5 million. according to a news release.
A federal court in 2021 ruled that the US government was liable for the damages caused by the shooting, in which 26 people died and 22 were injured. The Air Force, a judge concluded, failed to exercise reasonable care when it did not submit the shooter’s criminal history to the FBI’s background check system, increasing the risk of physical harm to the public.
The court still needs to approve some parts of the settlements, according to the DOJ release.
“No words or amount of money can diminish the terrible tragedy of the Sutherland Springs shooting,” said Associate Attorney General Vanita Gupta. “Today’s announcement concludes the litigation, ending a painful chapter for the victims of this unthinkable crime.”
This story is breaking and will be updated.