Santa Clara Co. gets $3.5M+ to support families, victims of 2021 VTA Railyard mass shooting

(KRON) — Santa Clara County will receive $3,533,860 in federal funding from the Department of Justice for a resiliency program to offer long-term support to families, victims employees, and first responders impacted by the 2021 VTA railyard mass shooting.

10 people were killed on May 26, 2021 at the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) railyard in the Bay Area’s deadliest mass shooting.

The announcement came from U.S. Representatives Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Anna Eshoo (CA-16), Ro Khanna (CA-17) and Jimmy Panetta (CA-19).

“Three years ago, San Jose was added to the long list of American cities plagued with a mass shooting. We were all hurt and angry, and we mourned alongside the victims’ families. We were also proud of the strength of the San Jose community in the aftermath of the tragedy, and we marveled at how people came together to offer support. Yet, more support is always needed after deadly gun violence. We welcome this federal funding that will invest in mental health services, counseling, and community space to help our neighbors heal, and we remain committed to doing everything we can in Congress to help end America’s gun violence epidemic,” said Reps. Lofgren, Eshoo, Khanna, and Panetta in a statement.

The $3.5M+ funding comes from the DOJ’s Office of Victims of Crime, as part of the Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance program (AESP), which aids victims of mass violence and domestic terrorism through crisis response, crisis management and financial compensation.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KRON4.