The families of 16 victims of the December 2012 shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School have agreed to split $1.5 million to settle two lawsuits against the estate of Nancy Lanza, according to court documents filed Monday. The Wall Street Journal reports that the agreement still has to be approved by a judge, but the families have agreed to divide the money equally, with each receiving $93,750 from Lanza’s homeowners insurance policy.
Adam Lanza killed his mother before heading to the school and taking the lives of 20 children and six staffers. The 20-year-old had unfettered access to the Bushmaster rifle used in the attack, which his mother purchased legally. The lawsuits, which included the families of 14 who died and two who survived, allege that Nancy Lanza “knew or should have known that [Adam Lanza’s] mental and emotional condition made him a danger to others.” Some of the same families are also suing Remington Outdoor Co., which distributes the Bushmaster, and the town of Newtown, which they say failed to properly secure the school. Those cases are still pending.
