Efforts to create Mass Violence Care Fund not in budget as expected by supporters

RICHMOND, Va. (WAVY) — A local lawmaker has submitted a budget amendment for $10 million to begin a fund that would help survivors of mass shootings in Virginia.  

As of late Monday afternoon, it appeared that the budget amendment for the Mass Violence Care Fund did not make it into either the House or Senate budget bills to be considered. 

But as we have learned, in the General Assembly nothing is final until the session is over, and efforts are underway to get the care fund considered. 

As we also first reported, a budget amendment ends the statewide commission investigating the May 31, 2019, Virginia Beach mass shooting at Building 2 of the Municipal Center. The amendment would revert all funds back to the General Fund. It sunsets — or ends — the commission, reversing the proposed funding offered by former Gov. Ralph Northam.   

“If you can wrap your head around what it is like to step over a dead coworker with a bullet hole in the top of their head,” said Ned Carlstrom last week, who was in Building 2 that dreadful day. He wasn’t killed or physically injured, but he said he has hidden mental injuries: nightmares, flashbacks, PTSD. 

Another man who addressed the legislators knows all about pain and suffering.

“He is not considered an injured survivor. You are just a person who walked out alive. Best practices say you are a survivor. You are included in the number. You are traumatized,” said Joe Samaha, pointing at Carlstrom.

Samaha knows plenty about trauma. His daughter Reema was killed as she sat in a French class at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007.

“The needs in the long term. They never consider that the people will go home, they will be ok, they’ll get over it. They never get over it. It is a lifetime journey.” 

Samaha realized from what he experienced, the tragedy left survivors psychologically injured, even if they weren’t physically hurt. He saw they need help years later.

“You get money, the money, first and second year, but after that people move on with their lives, but the people who have survived the tragedy have not moved on,” he said.

Samaha showed a chart that illustrates that point: after the first two years of initial benefits that end, the numbers of claims approved each year skyrocket for three years then subside then years later shoot up again — proving that healing is not a linear line and can be up and down forever, 

“What happens to my body, and what happens to my brain 10 years from now, not just today, not just tomorrow? This is a lifetime experience and journey,” Samaha said. 

So, following the Tech Tragedy and spearheaded by Samaha, Virginia agreed to pay forever the out-of-pocket expenses not covered by insurance for 177 tech survivors and family members. 

Now, Samaha’s fighting for all mass violence victims in Virginia.

“The Virginia Beach families have been in their own war. That was a war. They understand what PTSD is,” Samaha said. 

The $10 million price tag would establish the fund that would benefit all mass violence victims in Virginia.  

This is generally speaking, but an active shooter is either killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area. The number of those injured or killed needs to be at least three or four to be considered a mass violence event.

“Virginia Beach would be the first beneficiaries of that fund. Year three is May 31, 2019,” Samaha told the Virginia Beach delegates gathered. 

Jason Nixon’s wife, Kate, was killed in Building 2, and believes the reimbursements into the future are essential.

“We don’t have that support after 2 or 3 years we have nothing. My kids are going to have to go through counseling for the rest of their lives for missing their mom.” 

This proposed Budget Amendment is sponsored in the House of Delegates by Del. Kelly Convirs-Fowler (D-Virginia Beach).

The budget amendment is sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Chap Peterson (D-Fairfax). 

“There is support in the Senate, yes … I think the question is getting the right amount,” he said.

“We need to get that funding because it is running out for our victims, and they have to have support after the money runs out,” Del. Glenn Davis (R-Virginia Beach) said.

Carlstrom and a friend got matching tattoos to symbolize their experience and healing after the mass shooting at the Municipal Center in 2019.

“We got identical tattoos because we went through the shooting together… I saw the shooter three times,” Carlstrom said.