Transit authority settles for $8 million with families of San Jose railyard mass shooting victims
A transit authority agreed to pay $8 million to victims and families of the San Jose railyard shooting victims, the latest round of payments for victim compensation from the authority’s Transportation Security Administration.
The payments are the first for the victims and survivors of the attack, which occurred on Jan. 8 when 28-year-old Paul Ciancia targeted police officers with an assault rifle before driving away with his wife and two children.
“The victims and their families have been through more than their fair share of tragedy,” said Los Gatos resident and victim Lori Roesler, whose husband Chris Roesler died in the attack. Her daughter, Alex, was killed. “I’m glad that the T.S.A. is moving forward.”
The agency agreed to foot the bill in the same settlement reached with the victims of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, which killed three and injured more than 260.
The $8 million will go into a fund that will be split among the survivors and families of the victims, with $6 million going directly to those who survived and their immediate family members. The other $2 million will go to the victim’s attorney.
The victims will have until Aug. 1 to choose whether to participate in a different settlement, or a lump sum payment.
“This settlement is a reflection of the efforts that my office and the victims’ families have made to ensure that compensation will be available to the victims and their families for years to come,” said Office of Victim Compensation Director Mark M. Bernhardt. “We are grateful to the T.S.A. for their continued commitment and partnership to helping victims and their families.” Settlement: The victims and their families can choose to settle with the T.S.A. for that lump sum or a future payment
