Santa Clara County Reps Announce Federal Funding for Mass Shooting Victims’ Families & First Responders

SAN JOSE, CA - On May 26, 2021, 10 people were killed at the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) railyard in the Bay Area's deadliest mass shooting. Today, U.S. Representatives Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Anna Eshoo (CA-16), and Ro Khanna (CA-17) announced that Santa Clara County will receive $3,533,860 from the Department of Justice (DOJ) for a resiliency center to provide long-term support for families, employees, and first responders directly affected by the VTA railyard shooting.

"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. Panetta, Lofgren, Eshoo, and Khanna.

This funding is from the DOJ's Office of Victims of Crime, as part of the Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance Program (AEAP), which supports victims of mass violence and domestic terrorism through crisis response, crisis management, and financial compensation.

The AEAP funding was provided by the FY24 consolidated appropriations package.

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