One year after VTA tragedy, fighting to make S.J. safer
May 26, 2021, 7:30 a.m. “You okay?” This text message still sits on my phone, where it will forever remain unopened. I look at it from time to time with a feeling of anxiety, as if waiting for a response.
Nearly one year ago, a Valley Transportation Authority worker senselessly opened fire at the Guadalupe Light Rail Yard, taking the life of my friend Michael Rudometkin and the lives of eight other dedicated public servants. I vividly recall hearing the unverified reports that Mike “may” have been one of the casualties, only to wait another eight grueling hours before learning he was indeed no longer with us.
Mike sadly became part of a larger and disturbing nationwide trend of gun violence. In 2021, there were over 45,000 lives taken by gun violence in the United States. However, mass shootings only accounted for 1% of overall firearm-related deaths, while suicides made up an astounding 53%, and homicides, murders and unintentional incidents comprised 46%. In the wake of recent shootings in Buffalo and Orange County, it is abundantly clear that gun violence remains one of our country's greatest public safety failures.
As an active duty San José police officer and now a bereaved friend of a victim, I have seen firsthand the life-changing impact a firearm coupled with unaddressed mental illness can cause on a person a family and a community. Like anyone else,
I have experienced a universe of emotions since having had my childhood friend taken from me in such a horrific manner: sadness, anger, confusion, frustration. Unlike many others, I am also in a unique position as a local policymaker to put forth initiatives that can truly move the needle on reducing gun violence in our community.
During my seven years as a San José City Councilmember, I have supported every firearm safety initiative brought before the council, from sensible policies strengthening gun storage laws to banning ghost guns. However, after losing Mike, I channeled my emotions into a more comprehensive and thoughtful approach, with a stronger focus on mental health and wellness. My research led me to believe that if we truly want to root out gun violence, we must accept, understand and address the root causes that lead to gun violence.
This culminated with the introduction of my Community Violence Prevention Initiative, calling for a review of our city workers' mental health support programs, a comprehensive audit of our firearm policies to see what is working and what is not, and an invitation to the Santa Clara County Board of Supervisors to join in a study session on gun violence and mental health. The goal of the initiative is to find real solutions focused on people, not just hardware and data points. The work is already underway, and I'm looking forward to collaborating with our Santa Clara County partners.
Earlier this month, VTA demolished the railyard building where the shooting occurred in an attempt to provide healing for the families and community. There is much more work to be done, and we cannot forget to focus on the livelihoods and mental health of all the surviving VTA employees and the families for whom the date of May 26 has forever been scarred.
I know if Mike was still here, he would be embracing the challenge to care for his fellow coworkers and encouraging me to continue my work in making our community safer. So in his memory and with his inevitable support from above, I intend to persist in that work until we see real systemic change.