Acting U.S. Attorney announces almost half-million-dollar grant to serve victims of Oregon District shooting

DAYTON, Ohio – Acting U.S. Attorney Vipal J. Patel today announced that the U.S. Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime has awarded the State of Ohio $488,054 to serve victims and survivors of the August 4, 2019 shooting in Dayton, Ohio’s Oregon District.

“This money will support necessary and ongoing trauma-informed, evidence-based healing and resiliency services to direct and indirect victims of the shooting,” Acting U.S. Attorney Patel said. “Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s office will coordinate and administer the grant that will help pay for four additional mental health counselors and related costs at two mental health facilities to help those affected by the shooting.”

Nine people were killed and dozens were wounded in the 2019 mass shooting. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Ohio federally charged a friend of the shooter, who has been sentenced in U.S. District Court to 32 months in prison on firearms violations.

Patel also announced almost $2.2 million in grants from the Justice Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) for the following agencies in the 48-county Southern District of Ohio:

- Legal Assistance for Victims (LAV) grants of $600,000 to the Legal Aid Society of Cincinnati and $600,000 to the Ohio Domestic Violence Network to support increases in the availability of legal assistance for adult and youth victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking by providing funds for comprehensive direct legal services to victims in legal matters relating to or arising out of that abuse or violence.

- $449,999 from the Outreach and Services to Underserved Population program to Equitas Health to develop and implement outreach strategies targeted at adult or youth victims of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, or stalking in underserved populations, and to provide victim services to meet the needs of such populations, and

- $549,998 to Fairfield County from the Grants to Support Families in the Justice System program which is designed to improve the response of the civil and criminal justice system to families with a history of domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking or in cases involving allegations of child sexual abuse.

“I want to thank all of these important agencies for the ongoing work they do to help victims in our community and also congratulate them on successfully earning these grants,” Patel said.

The Office on Violence Against Women provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.

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