AURORA | The man tasked with overseeing the $5 million fund for victims of the Aurora theater shooting said last week that payment decisions have been made and the victims will begin receiving money.
In an announcement Nov. 16, Ken Feinberg, who served as special master for the Aurora Victim Relief Fund, said the families of the 12 people killed in the theater and victims with permanent brain damage or permanent physical paralysis will receive 70 percent of the fund.
The remaining 30 percent will go to injured victims based on the number of days they spent in the hospital.
In a statement from Gov. John Hickenlooper’s office, officials said the fund, which stopped taking donations last week, totaled $5,338,360.32.
In all, the governor’s office processed 57 claims and approved 38 of them.
Families of the 12 killed in the theater as well as five people seriously injured will receive $220,000 each. Six people who were hospitalized for 20 days or more will receive $160,000, two people hospitalized for between eight and 19 days will receive $91,680, and 13 people hospitalized between one and seven days will receive $35,000.
“These payments won’t replace loved ones who died or completely heal all wounds,” Hickenlooper said in the statement. “But through the generosity of others we hope victims and their families can use this money to continue their recovery. We are especially grateful to Ken Feinberg and Community First Foundation for their efforts to handle and distribute the fund.”
Hickenlooper appointed Feinberg, who previously administered relief funds following the Virginia Tech shootings and the Sept. 11 terror attacks, to oversee the fund in October after several victims and their families were critical of how slowly the fund was distributed.