San Jose Shooting: 'America's Disease;' Shooting At San Jose VTA Rail Yard Prompts Outpouring Of Reaction On Social Media
SAN JOSE (CBS SF) -- In the wake of the tragic events in San Jose Wednesday that left nine people dead, there was an outpouring of sympathy and condolences from officials on social media for the victims' families.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who grew up in the Bay Area, offered her first comment on the mass shooting Wednesday afternoon, calling it "absolutely tragic."
President Joe Biden issued a statement, which read in part, "There are at least eight families who will never be whole again. There are children, parents, and spouses who are waiting to hear whether someone they love is ever going to come home. There are union brothers and sisters – good, honest, hardworking people – who are mourning their own."
Biden, who ordered flags at half-staff, renewed calls for tougher gun legislation. "Every life that is taken by a bullet pierces the soul of our nation. We can, and we must, do more," the President said.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) said "the nation stands wit the San Jose community."
"All Americans join the San Jose community in sadness and shock over today's horrific mass shooting. As a Californian, I am personally devastated. Our prayers are with the loved ones of the victims, and our gratitude is with the first responders for their heroic actions," the speaker said.
Pelosi also urged passage of two measures addressing gun violence, saying "inaction is not an option."
Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Alex Padilla, also issued statements which urged passage of gun legislation.
"The common thread in every mass shooting is easy access to deadly weapons. We're the only country that experiences mass shootings on a regular basis, and it's largely because congressional Republicans refuse to take reasonable steps to reduce gun violence," Feinstein said.
Padilla said, "We cannot become numb to the horrific crisis of gun violence, and I am committed to passing commonsense legislation that will protect our communities. We must put an end to this disturbing cycle of tragedy."
San Francisco Mayor London Breed and East Bay mayors Libby Schaaf of Oakland and Jesse Arreguin of Berkeley tweeted their support for the city of San Jose and Mayor Sam Liccardo.
California Attorney General Rob Bonta offered condolences and noted that "Gun violence is America's disease" in his post.
San Jose Representative Ro Khanna also posted his sympathies after the shooting.
Later in the day, Khanna lamented about other communities that have dealt with similar tragedies.
Bay Area representative Eric Swalwell offered condolences and called on Republicans in the Senate to act.
The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office posted a statement attributed to DA Jeff Rosen, offering sympathies and calling for an end to gun violence.
Other Bay Area transit services offered messages of support and sympathy, including officials from BART, AC Transit and the SFMTA.
The Amalgamated Transit Union also issued a statement in the wake of the shooting, saying they were "shocked and deeply saddened" by the shooting.
Bay Area sports teams also acknowledged the tragic shooting, offering condolences to families impacted and thanks to first responders.
