DOJ announces $16.7 million in funding to help victims of Las Vegas mass shooting

The Justice Department on Friday announced that it would provide $16.7 million in funds from the Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance Program (AEAP) to victims of last year’s deadly mass shooting in Las Vegas.

Acting Attorney General Matthew Whitaker said in a press release that the funds would be distributed to survivors for counseling, physical therapy, and other needs requiring financial assistance following the shooting that killed 59 people at a country music concert in 2017.

{mosads}A total of 851 people were injured in the shooting and it wasn’t immediately among how many survivors the $16.7 million would be split.

“This Department of Justice stands with our first responders and victims of crime,” Whitaker said in the news release Friday.

“We have already provided $3 million to cover expenses for state and local law enforcement in Las Vegas and in Clark County following last October’s horrific mass shooting,” he continued. “Today we take the next step of providing more than $16 million for the victims of that tragedy and for the first responders who came to the scene, to help pay for counseling, therapy, rehabilitation, trauma recovery, and legal aid.”

The money will also be used to provide financial assistance for therapy and other care for family members of the 59 people killed in the shooting, and follows a $2 million grant from the Justice Department to local first responders earlier this year.

Stephen Paddock, believed to be the shooter responsible for the carnage, was found dead by self-inflicted gunshot wounds by first responders working to stop the shooting. No motive for the attack was uncovered in the months following the attack.

The massacre drew attention to the national availability of bump stocks, which allow firearm users to modify a semi-automatic weapon allowing it to fire at speeds similar to a fully automatic rifle.

Nevada Rep. Dina Titus (D), whose district encompasses the Las Vegas strip, thanked the Justice Department in a statement Friday following the announcement.

“More than a year after the worst mass shooting in modern history, which occurred in District 1, our community continues to face challenges responding to the needs of those directly and indirectly affected by the events of that horrific night,” Titus said in an emailed statement. 

“Survivors, victims, their families, and first responders who put themselves at risk to save lives all need support, and I thank the DOJ for approving this request and helping Nevada meet their needs,” she added.

— Updated 12:25 p.m.