Five years ago today, during an office holiday
party in San Bernardino, a husband and wife shot and killed 14 people and
injured 22 others. Immediately after the December 2, 2015, terror attack, the
California Victim Compensation Board began assisting victims with getting the
help they needed, providing reimbursements for medical and mental health
treatment, income loss and funeral expenses.
At the time, victims had three years to apply for CalVCB benefits; however, the law has since been changed, extending the deadline to apply for benefits up to seven years after the incident. (Senate Bill 375)
Since the attack, CalVCB has approved 182 claims filed by victims of the San Bernardino shooting and compensated victims more than $2.6 million.
- Income/Support Loss: $2,248,587.26
- Medical: $224,478.71
- Funeral/Burial: $79,834.00
- Mental Health: $49,048.40
- Residential Security: $13,310.22
- Relocation: $3,645.00
- Total Payments: $2,618,903.59
A year after the deadly shooting, the federal Office for Victims of Crime’s Antiterrorism and Emergency Assistance Program awarded CalVCB a $4 million grant to support crisis counseling, post-trauma recovery workshops, peer support training, crisis leadership training and identity theft protection. The grant money also funded community resilience forums to provide education and resources to those affected by the attack.
Victims can apply for compensation in several ways:
- Online: online.victims.ca.gov
- By mail
California Victim Compensation Board
P.O. Box 3036Sacramento, CA 95812-3036
- Through a Victim Witness Assistance Program
CalVCB offers applications in English, Spanish and 16 other languages.
Recovering from a violent crime can be traumatic, challenging and difficult. CalVCB’s mission is to assist victims of violent crime and help them overcome the barriers to recovery.
