A wrongful death lawsuit connected to the Virginia Tech shooting on April 16, 2007 continues in the Virginia Supreme Court next month, as the parents of two women slain in the attack go up against the state, reports The Roanoke Times.
The court will hear arguments from the parents of the late Julia Pryde and Erin Peterson, along with testimony by the state. Both parties have made appeals in the case.
The state argues that Judge William Alexander made multiple incorrect rulings in Montgomery County Circuit Court back in 2011, which gave each family $4 million in damages. They argue this figure should be set aside, or the case should be retried.
The $4 million awards were reduced to $100,000 for each plaintiff in accordance with the Virginia Tort Claims Act, an act that limits the amount the commonwealth can pay out in damages.
Attorneys for the parents of the slain women are appealing to have the outgoing Virginia Tech President Charles Steger reinstated as a defendant in the case. Steger was dismissed as a defendant on a technicality, and if he is reinstated it could lead to a retrial.
The parents of Pryde and Peterson chose not to join a multimillion-dollar settlement with the state and instead filed their own suit in 2009.
The April 16, 2007 shooting killed 32 people, including Pryde and Peterson, who were part of the second assault two hours after the gunman shot and killed two students in the West Ambler Johnston dormitory.
We will keep you updated as this story unfolds.
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