SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – It's been a year and a half since a VTA employee killed nine of his coworkers at a maintenance yard in San Jose.
Now, the families of those victims have reached a settlement with the Valley Transportation Authority.
On May 26, 2021, a disgruntled Samuel Cassidy walked into the Guadalupe Railyard in San Jose and gunned down nine of his co-workers.
Cassidy had long been disgruntled with the job and had raised some major red flags before the tragic shooting.
The day itself was absolute chaos for the employees who remember it.
The families who lost loved ones in the tragedy will be splitting the $8 million settlement they received from the VTA.
The $8 million is much less than the initial hundreds of millions originally discussed in damage claims filed by the families.
One family refused to settle, the family of 63-year-old Lars Kepler Lane.
Their attorney said months ago that the VTA didn’t do enough to protect its employees.
"Everybody who worked with that guy and the supervisors knew that there was a fear that this man would go postal," said Nick Rowley, the family's attorney and co-founder of Trial Lawyers for Justice.
In the months following the shooting, employees have spoken up about the toxic work environment and other issues plaguing the agency.
In response, the VTA has made some changes to better support those struggling with mental health issues.
The VTA issued a statement that they will continue to work with the families of those who lost their lives.
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