Families of victims of the Red Lake High School shooting file notices of claims
The families of the victims of the Red Lake High School shooting have filed notices of claims in a Minneapolis federal district court. The notices are a prelude to possible wrongful death suits. The notices were served on Red Lake School District (RLSD), the State of Minnesota, and the state department of education. Attorney and Council of School Attorneys member Shamus O'Meara, who has been retained by RLSD, says the notices are "another step toward the reality of a lawsuit." However, attorney Randy Thompson, who represents some of the families, says his notice was filed within the six month deadline in order to preserve the families' option to sue, but declines to indicate that a suit will be filed. The notice states that in addition to seeking compensation for the deaths, the families of the two students wounded in the attack are seeking damages for their injuries. Attorney Gregory McEwen has also filed notice on behalf of the estate of teacher Neva Rogers who was killed in the shooting. Mr. O'Meara has filed a motion with the federal district court requesting the U.S. Attorney's Office return security tapes, student records, computer hard drives, and other material the Federal Bureau of Investigation took during its investigation of the incident. The U.S. Attorney's Office had previously denied his Freedom of Information Act request for access to the materials. Mr. O'Meara's motion says that RLSD needs the material "for its defense of civil actions ... which are likely in the future." However, he still hopes to settle the cases without resort to litigation.
Minneapolis Star TribuneBy Chuck Haga
[Link to full story]Minneapolis Star TribuneBy Chuck Haga
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