San Bernardino Shooting Rattles Nerves In Disabled Community
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) — The shooting in San Bernardino is rattling nerves among the disabled community in Northern California as what was a safe place turned into the site of bloodshed.
For Tyler Busselen, it's a heartbreaking scene that's become all too familiar in this country.
"Thank God that wasn't here, but who's to say in the future it couldn't be here," he said.
The shooting at Inland Regional Center in San Bernardino, a place dedicated to helping those with disabilities, hits especially close to home.
Busselen has cerebral palsy, a developmental disorder that damages parts of the brain that control movement.
"It got my legs, my hands a lot, but it can be much more severe than that," he said.
He's one of 290,000 people who the 21 regional centers in the state assist.
Busselen goes to Alta Regional Center in Sacramento. He says he's stunned why anyone would target a place that has been so vital in coordinating the services he needed.
"They helped pay for some things when insurance denied it, helped pay for some care with some outside agencies my family needed help to do things when my family needed help," he said.
Aaron Carruthers from SCDD, an independent state agency that advocates for the rights of people with developmental disabilities, recommended those who utilize regional centers throughout the state to postpone their visits.
While Busselen doesn't have an upcoming appointment, he says he wouldn't go if he did.
"Even though it's just precautionary, from now on, it's on us that once we're out there that we're informed," he said.
There are no known threats against other regional centers and Alta plans to open normally on Thursday after closing early Wednesday.
Dr. April Lopez, Chairperson for the State Council on Developmental Disabilities, issued this statement regarding the active shooter incident in San Bernardino:
"This is a tragic and heartbreaking moment for the disabled community in California. Our thoughts and prayers are with the shooting victims and their loved ones and the first responders who are doing everything possible to make this situation safe. As this active shooter incident continues to unfold we ask all consumers who utilize Regional Center services throughout the state of California to consider postponing visits to local regional centers until the authorities deem the incident resolved and any threats to people with disabilities and/or their support staff are eliminated. We are working with federal, state and local officials to ensure that all who have been affected are safe."