LOS ANGELES _ Four months after a dozen people were killed in a mass shooting at the Borderline Bar & Grill in Thousand Oaks, more than $3 million in donations has been given to the victims' families.
Checks totaling $3.6 million were recently distributed to more than 200 people who lost loved ones, were injured in the Nov. 8 shooting or were there when the attack happened, said Vanessa Bechtel, chief executive of the Ventura County Community Foundation.
Thousands of people from across the country and around the world have hosted fundraisers for the victims or donated directly to the foundation, she said.
"It was just a massive effort," Bechtel said. "I've never witnessed this outpouring of support."
The funds were divided into three tiers: 70 percent of the money was given to families who lost loved ones in the shooting, 20 percent was distributed to survivors who were physically injured in the bar and 10 percent was given to people who were inside the bar when the gunfire erupted.
The money will help with costs such as medical bills, mental health treatment and lost income, Bechtel said.
The shooting shocked the community. And it was just the initial blow of a withering assault on the close-knit suburb, which then had to contend with two massive wildfires that erupted nearby, displacing many who had just lost family members.
The most recent disbursement of money is the third distribution of funds from the foundation. Smaller donations were given to victims immediately after the shooting, and later, $20,000 was provided for burial costs to each family who lost a loved one in the shooting, Bechtel said.
The foundation is still collecting donations, she said. "There are still a lot of unmet needs."
