Victims of July 16th Terrorist Attack Get Financial Assistance

CHATTANOOGA, TN (WDEF-TV) The tragedy caused by a homegrown Islamic terrorist on July 16th is a permanent part of Chattanooga’s history.
And those directly affected by the shootings that took the lives of five service members can receive financial assistance to help them recover.
The National Compassion Fund is now being distributed.

All the money in the world will not bring back the 4 marines and one navy victim of shootings at the Naval training center on Amnicola Highway.
Not will it ever ease the pain of three men who suffered wounds, and erase the psychological impact on many others who were there.
The National Compassion Fund is now distributing 467-thousand dollars, and Chattanoogan Mickey Mccamish served on the steering committee that selected the recipients.

MICKEY MCCAMISH, CAPTAIN, US NAVY (RET), STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBER "Actually the city of Chattanooga..mayor’s staff determined the fund that would be used to process the money to the families and to the victims I should say of the July 16th terrorist attacks. "

The largest portion of the fund, 71%, is going to the families or estates of the 5 men who died. The total is 331-thousand dollars.
Three people who were wounded will share 61-thousand-800 dollars.
But the committee also selected 54 others who suffered psychological trauma that fateful day.

But there are still other funds yet to be distributed, including the Peyton Manning and the Freedom Fund.

MICKEY MCCAMISH "…there was a Peyton Manning fund..Peyton Manning Bob Corker fund and those funds are for loinger term needs."

There were 556 donors to the Compassion fund, but 327-thousand dollars was raised through the Chattanooga Unites benefit concert .
It was sponsored by Friends of the festival.
The goal is to offer some closure.

MICKEY MCCAMISH "It does, it starts to bring closure from the community….and it gets the funds back to the vicrtims of the terrorist attack."

The Chattanooga Heros fund started by Peyton Manning and Senator Bob Corker now contains more than a million dollars.
It’s earmarked for the long-range needs of the victims’ families.