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VTA building where San Jose mass shooting took place demolished
It was the site of a terrible mass shooting and now it's being razed. Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority made the decision to demolish Building B at their Guadalupe Light Rail Yard, so employees would never have to go back there. This comes just before the May 26 anniversary of the tragedy, where 10 people died.
SAN JOSE, Calif. - It was the site of a terrible San Jose mass shooting and now it's being razed.
Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority made the decision to demolish Building B at their Guadalupe Light Rail Yard, so employees would never have to go back there. This comes just before the May 26 anniversary of the tragedy, where 10 people died.
Bit by bit, Building B is coming down and VTA employees aren't sad to see it go.
For Chris Watts, a VTA employee and Union leader, the structure itself was triggering. It was a reminder of the tragedy that happened there and of the close friends he lost. Watts had their names engraved on his wristband.
"I think we've never ever got back to our regular lives. We have a sense of loss, a hole that hasn't been filled," said Watts.
Watts was at the Guadalupe Yard the day of the mass shooting. So was ATU Local 265 union president John Courtney. He said going back to the building, caused him physical pain.
"I dropped to my knees and I couldn't move, so I called a mental health professional to come with me," said Courtney.
VTA Board members said razing the structure was the right thing to do, both for employees well-being and out of respect for the victim's families.
10 people, including the shooter, died that day. An 11th died by suicide in the months that followed.
"It's a sad reminder of what happened. And I think the purpose of it coming down is just to help let us take one more step forward in trying to help heal," said VTA board member Glenn Hendricks.
"It gives us an opportunity to reconfigure that site with input from our employees and input from the families who lost a loved one that day," said VTA board member Cindy Chavez.
No word on what the reimagined Guadalupe Yard will look like, but employees hope there's a spot devoted to mental health, and they'd like a memorial too.
"I don't want to lose the good things that I remember the people by. And although the building is coming down it is a relief that we're going forward in a new direction," said Watts.
"They finally can say, ‘I no longer have to worry about seeing activity over there.’ It's been a long time coming. It should have been done on May 27th," said Courtney.
Building A, also a site of this tragedy will remain standing for now. Demolition on B should be completed Friday.