Colo. theater shooting fundraisers criticized

AURORA, Colo. -- Families of some of the 12 people killed in the Colorado theater shooting are upset with the way the millions of dollars raised since the tragedy are being distributed.

At an emotional news conference yesterday in Aurora, group spokesman Tom Teves, whose son was killed, criticized fundraisers for not giving victims a voice in how the money is distributed, even though it was raised using the pictures and names of "our murdered loved ones."

So far, just over $5 million has been raised and $450,000 distributed. Of that, $350,000 went to the Colorado Organization for Victim Assistance in order to provide $5,000 each to the families of 70 victims to meet their immediate financial needs. The other $100,000 has gone to 10 nonprofit groups, according to the Community First Foundation website.

Teves accused fundraising groups of being unresponsive and unsympathetic to victims' needs. He also questioned the commitment of Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper to helping the victims, noting that the governor had attended the funerals of those who died in the shooting.

"You pledged 12 times that 'We will remember.' Are you a man who is true to his words, or were they just words?"

Hickenlooper's spokesman, Eric Brown, said the governor understands the families' frustration and is advocating for them to have more say. He also praised the generosity of donors and said the victims would get more money.

"Everyone involved is trying to do the right thing in a very difficult situation," Brown said.

Victims and their families crowded on the platform behind Teves.

Teves said anyone in the theater or in the suspect's apartment building who was affected by the "coward's acts" should be eligible to receive help.

The suspect in the July 20 shooting, James Eagan Holmes, 24, is charged with multiple counts of murder and attempted murder.