Grants will cover costs of shooting overtime

WASHINGTON — Nevada will receive full reimbursement from the federal government for overtime costs associted with the Oct. 1 mass shooting on the Strip through a Justice Department program that helps states and communities with extraordinary events.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions made the announcement Monday during a speech to the National Association of School Resource Officers conference on school safety at the Peppermill Resort in Reno. The Justice Department provided $2 million in assistance through grants following the shooting, the worst in modern U.S. history.

Sen. Dean Heller, R-nev., and Rep. Dina Titus, D-nev., sought more funding for local law enforcement when overtime costs far exceeded the amount reimbursed. The entire congressional delegation backed requests for more federal aid.

Heller said the reimbursement was good for the state and the first responders.

“They selflessly ran toward danger, chaos and uncertainty in order to help others, and as a result they saved many lives on that horrific October night,” Heller said.

Heller asked Sen. Richard Shelby, R-ala., chairman of a Senate Appropriations subcommittee that oversees justice, to increase the amount of money in a grant program used to assist states and cities with the costs for emergency events.

An increase in grant money was included in the overall spending bill for fiscal 2018, which ends Sept. 30.

Heller said the shooting, in which 58 people were killed and hundreds more were wounded, prompted an “all-hands-on-deck” response from federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, as well as first responders, emergency medical technicians and hospitals.

Contact Gary Martin at gmartin@ reviewjournal.com or at 202-6627390. Follow @garymartindc on Twitter.