HOUSTON - Family members of a man who died in the Nov. 5 shooting at the First Baptist Church of Sutherland Springs has filed a claim notifying the Air Force thate they intend to pursue a wrongful death lawsuit against the military branch.
Bryan Holcombe was among the 26 people shot and killed that day by a man who was a former Air Force airman with a well-documented criminal past. Bryan Holcombe was leading the congregation that day, and also killed were his wife, Karla; Danny, their son; Danny's daughter, Noah; his pregnant daughter-in-law, Crystal; and Crystal's three children.
Complete Coverage: Sutherland Springs Mass Shooting
According to the claim for damage, injury, or death, filed by claimants Joe and Claryce Holcombe, their son’s death was a result, in whole or part, of “the institutional failures of the United States Department of Defense, including, but not limited to the United States Air Force.”
In the hours and days following the mass shooting, it came to light that the shooter had been arrested, convicted and discharged from the military, and the Air Force failed to enter that information into a federal database, which should have prevented him from owning the firearm, ammunition and body armor he used the morning of the shooting.
For its part, according to the Associated Press, the Air Force on Tuesday acknowledged that it failed to report the shooter’s criminal history and that failure was “not an isolated incident.”
The Air Force blamed that failure on "gaps in training and compliance measures.”
The shooter in 2012 was convicted of assaulting his then-wife and his stepson. His fingerprint card and the report of the outcome of his court martial were not submitted to the FBI by the Air Force.
The shooter was sentenced to 12 months in confinement and given a bad conduct discharge.
The claim also states the shooter was known to have made threats against his Air Force superiors and in 2012 was involuntarily committed to a New Mexico mental health facility from which he escaped. He was quickly apprehended and returned to that facility.
Air Force’s Response
The Air Force says it's already begun reviewing its reporting procedures and has already taken immediate action.
The Air Force Inspector General found that although there were rules in place, there was not enough training about the procedures.
The Sutherland Springs suspect was previously stationed at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.
Investigators say Security personnel at Holloman did *not report the required information about the shooter to civilian law enforcement.
Now, the Air Force is reviewing its records with reportable offenses dating back to 2002.
For its part, the Air Force says it's already begun reviewing its reporting procedures and has already taken immediate action.
The Air Force Inspector General found that although there were rules in place, there was not enough training about the procedures.
The Sutherland Springs suspect was previously stationed at Holloman Air Force Base in New Mexico.
Investigators say Security personnel at Holloman did not report the required information about the shooter to civilian law enforcement.
Now, the Air Force is reviewing its records with reportable offenses dating back to 2002.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.