 |
MERIDEN, Connecticut (Reuters) - A $100 million claim on behalf of a 6-year-old survivor is the first legal action to come out of the Connecticut school shooting that left 26 children and adults dead two weeks ago.
The unidentified
client, referred to as Jill Doe, heard "cursing, screaming, and
shooting" over the school intercom when the gunman, 20-year-old Adam
Lanza, opened fire, according to the claim filed by New Haven-based
attorney Irv Pinsky.
"As a consequence, the ... child has sustained
emotional and psychological trauma and injury, the nature and extent of
which are yet to be determined," the claim said.
Pinsky said he
filed a claim on Thursday with state Claims Commissioner J. Paul Vance
Jr., whose office must give permission before a lawsuit can be filed
against the state.
"We all know its going to happen again," Pinsky said on Friday. "Society has to take action."
Twenty children and six adults were shot dead on December 14 at the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut. The children were all 6 and 7 years old.
Pinsky's claim said that the state Board of Education, Department of Education and Education Commissioner had failed to take appropriate steps to protect children from "foreseeable harm."
It said they had
failed to provide a "safe school setting" or design "an effective
student safety emergency response plan and protocol."
Pinsky said he was approached by the child's parents within a week of the shooting.
The shooting, which
also left the gunman dead, has prompted extensive debate about gun
control and the suggestion by the National Rifle Association that
schools be patrolled by armed guards. Police have said the gunman killed
his mother at their home in Newtown before going to the school.
No comments:
Post a Comment