Yesterday, two gunmen entered a conference room on the Inland Regional Center property, killing fourteen people, and injuring many more. The facility was rented by the San Bernardino County Department of Public Health for a holiday party. The attackers were not connected to the regional center. Initial reports indicate one attacker was a County employee.
Inland is one of California’s 21 non-profit regional centers providing assessment, case management, and other direct services for over 280,000 people with developmental disabilities and their families. They also purchase and coordinate community-based services and supports. Developmental disabilities include autism, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and intellectual disabilities.
All regional center employees were safely evacuated. However, one of the victims was Daniel Kaufman, an employee at a coffee shop at the conference room. The shop was independently owned and operated, and leased the space from Inland. It employed multiple people with developmental disabilities. We are relieved nobody served by the regional center was harmed. But the death of Daniel Kaufman and the County Department of Public Health employees targeted in this attack fills us with sorrow, knowing so many families are in mourning.
We are united in love and compassion for all affected by this tragedy. The outpouring of support continues to be truly humbling. The developmental disabilities community is a family, and in these times of crisis, we come even closer together.
The regional centers will continue to focus on ensuring the safety and well-being of the people they serve, their families, and their employees. Each center will be working with its local community to ensure their security and support needs continue to be met. They will also continue to work closely with the state Department of Developmental Services to optimize emergency response protocols.
Inland Regional Center is currently closed, and expects to reopen on Monday.
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