More than $192,000 in grants have been approved for victims services in Marshall County, where students and families continue to recover from the tragic fatal shooting that claimed the lives of two high school students and injured several others on January 23. Governor Matt Bevin and the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet approved the funds Tuesday, and are part of two separate grants available through the federal Victims of Crime Act (VOCA).
The first grant will provide $175,834 for a “floating” advocate to work with prosecutors and victims and help bridge service gaps in the area. The project will be administered by the Kentucky Office of Victims Advocacy.
The second grant — $17,147 for Four Rivers Behavorial Health — will pay for emergency crisis counseling for students, families and first responders.
Not only did the shooting at Marshall County High School claim the lives of the two students and left many others injured, Governor Bevin says it also affected approximately 300 students and 25 school staff members that were reportedly within range to see or hear the attack.
In addition, the Justice Cabinet’s Grants Management Branch estimates that close to 1,375 individuals were immediately impacted by the violence, including first responders and friends and family members of the victims.
Since the tragedy in January, more than $348,000 in VOCA funds have been channeled by the Justice Department to crisis an advocacy centers in Marshall County.
As previously reported by the News Edge, Governor Bevin also joined U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos earlier this month to announce a $138,000 Project School Emergency Response to Violence grant for the high school to assist with recovery and sstudent support efforts.
