Aurora Victim Relief Fund special master Ken Feinberg on Friday finalized payments to the families of the 12 killed and to many injured in the July 20 movie-theater shooting.

Seventy percent of the final fund balance Thursday — $5,338,360 in private donations — will be given in the next few days to the families of the deceased and to five victims who suffered permanent brain damage or physical paralysis in the killing rampage.

Each of these claimants will receive $220,000, totaling $3.74 million.

Victims filed 57 claims, of which 38 were approved by Feinberg, who has served as pay master for several high-profile American crises.

Shooting suspect James Holmes is being held in the Arapahoe County Jail.

Gov. John Hickenlooper recruited Feinberg to mediate between victims of the Aurora massacre and the fund’s co-creators, the governor’s office and the nonprofit Community First Foundation.

The six wounded in the shooting who were hospitalized for at least 20 days will each receive $160,000. The two claimants hospitalized between eight and 19 days will each receive $91,680. The remaining 13 claimants, hospitalized for one to seven days, will each receive $35,000.

Hickenlooper spokesman Eric Brown said that those victims who did not require overnight hospitalization and those who filed claims for mental trauma cannot be compensated because of limited funds. Free counseling is still available for victims.

“These payments won’t replace loved ones who died or completely heal all wounds, but through the generosity of others, we hope victims can use this money to continue their recovery,” Hickenlooper said in a statement released late Friday afternoon.

He expressed gratitude to Feinberg, who received no payment for his work establishing a payment protocol for a fund that had engendered controversy. Many victims were critical of fund administration, saying the process hadn’t been transparent, efficient or compassionate.

Feinberg held two public meetings with victims in October. He held other private meetings with victims and reviewed victim surveys conducted by the 7/20 Recovery Committee.

Feinberg is working on a final report about the fund, expected to be released in December, Brown said.

The Community First Foundation hired Ehrhardt Keefe Steiner & Hottman to conduct an independent audit of the fund. Its findings will be included in Feinberg’s report.

Electa Draper: 303-954-1276, edraper@denverpost.com or twitter.com/electadraper