SAN BERNARDINO, Calif. (AP) — The widow of a man killed in last month’s mass shooting in San Bernardino has filed four claims with the county and is seeking damages totaling $58 million, according to a newspaper report.
The claims were filed in late December on behalf of Renee Wetzel, whose husband Michael was one of 14 people killed in the Inland Regional Center attack, the San Bernardino Sun reported Tuesday.
Wetzel is seeking $3 million from San Bernardino County for loss of wages and $25 million in general damages. She is also seeking $10 million in general damages for each of her three minor children.
The claim, which lists the county and 25 unidentified individuals as respondents, alleges the 37-year-old Wetzel’s death “was preventable and caused by the negligent and careless actions of respondents.”
Andrew J. Nissen, one of two attorneys representing Renee Wetzel and her children, declined to elaborate about the negligence claims against the county.
Nissen told the Sun that county officials had yet to respond to the claims.
“The county will carefully consider each claim and act in the best interests of everyone involved,” spokesman David Wert said in a statement obtained by the newspaper.
Nissen said neither he nor his law partner, Stanton T. Mathews, are representing any of the other shooting victims or members of their families.
Wetzel, of Lake Arrowhead, worked as a supervising environmental health specialist for the county.
He was one of 14 people killed in the Dec. 2 attack, which the FBI called the deadliest terrorist strike on U.S. soil since 9/11. The two shooters, county environmental health specialist Syed Farook and his wife, Tashfeen Malik, were killed in a gun battle with police.
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(Photo Source: AP)
