Group will decide how to distribute donations for Las Vegas shooting victims
By Nicole Raz Las Vegas Review-Journal
Steve Adams of Colorado and Henderson, 68, visits a memorial at the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign in Las Vegas, Monday, Oct. 16, 2017, honoring the victims of the Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
Jeff Dion, deputy executive director of the National Center for Victims of Crime, speaks during an interview near a memorial set up, honoring the victims of the 91 Harvest mass shooting, at the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017. Bizuayehu Tesfaye Las Vegas Review-Journal @bizutesfaye
Board member Bill Noonan during the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority’s audit committee meeting at Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2017. Bridget Bennett Las Vegas Review-Journal @BridgetKBennett
Deacon Tom Roberts, president and chief operation officer of Catholic Charities of Southern Nevada makes opening comments at the 73rd anniversary celebration Heart of Hope awards ceremony at the Red Rock Resort hotel-casino in Las Vegas, Friday, Feb. 7, 2014. (Jerry Henkel/Las Vegas Review-Journal)
Elynne Greene speaks during a remembrance ceremony for victims of domestic violence at the Metropolitan Police Headquarters in Las Vegas on Thursday, Oct. 6, 2016. Brett Le Blanc/Las Vegas Review-Journal Follow @bleblancphoto
Peter Guzman, president of the Latin Chamber of Commerce, during a meeting at the Clark County Government Center on Thursday, June 8, 2017 in Las Vegas. Erik Verduzco/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Yolanda King, chief financial officer of Clark County, attends a meeting of the Clark County Board of Commissioners at Clark County Government Center, Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2016, in Las Vegas. County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to appoint King as county manager. Ronda Churchill/Las Vegas Review-Journal
Aubriauna DeCicco of Las Vegas, 17, visits a memorial at the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign in Las Vegas, Monday, Oct. 16, 2017, honoring the victims of the Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
People visit a memorial at the Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas sign in Las Vegas, Monday, Oct. 16, 2017, honoring the victims of the Route 91 Harvest Festival mass shooting. Joel Angel Juarez Las Vegas Review-Journal @jajuarezphoto
People visit a makeshift memorial near the "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas" sign in Las Vegas on Friday, Oct. 13, 2017. Chase Stevens Las Vegas Review-Journal @csstevensphoto
A group of 16 people will decide how to distribute raised funds to Las Vegas shooting victims, the fund committee announced Tuesday.
Representatives from law enforcement, local government, health care and the gaming industries make up the Las Vegas Victims Fund committee, which met for the first time Tuesday.
Jeff Dion, deputy executive director of the National Center for Victims of Crime, and Kenneth Feinberg, a victim-compensation expert, are working with the Las Vegas Victims’ Fund to provide guidance.
Dion and Feinberg previously told the Review-Journal that victims and families can expect to receive money within three to six months. More than $12 million is in three pools of money slated to go directly to victims and families.
After the committee finalizes a protocol, Dion said applications will become available for people to apply for benefits. In the Orlando case, applications became available 14 weeks after the shooting, and victims and family members had six weeks to apply.
Transparency
Dion and Feinberg said there is “full transparency” in how much each person gets. Amounts will be approved by the committee based upon the aggregate of funds available, Feinberg said.
“What we’ve done in the past and our general approach has been that people in similar circumstances get the same level of benefits,” Dion said.
“The families of those who were killed all got the same level of benefits. People who suffered psychological trauma all get the same level of benefits. With injury cases there’s a little bit of variation based on severity, and we’ve used in the past a guide of number of nights hospitalized to categorize those.”
The committee members are: Barbara Molasky; Barry Lieberman; Bill Noonan; Dana Lee; Deacon Tom Roberts; Allison Netski; Dr. Ikram U. Khan; Elynne Greene; Hunter Campbell; Jackson Wong; Kristin Tyler; Magann Jordan; Peter Guzman; Punam Mather; Scott Nielson; Yolanda King.
The committee will decide key questions, including: are people with nonphysical injuries eligible for compensation; ensuring the equitable distribution of funds; steps to distribute money; and when people will receive money.
