San Bernardino was trying to get back on its feet when tragedy struck Wednesday in the form of a mass shooting at Inland Regional Center that left 14 dead and 17 wounded. The California city declared bankruptcy just three years ago and, according to the Los Angeles Times, is "among the nation's poorest big cities" and the state's "starkest example of urban blight":
This city of 214,000 has long suffered from the steady grind of crime that often accompanies poverty, drug use, and slashed city services. Methamphetamine use is widespread. The county assessor himself was arrested for possessing the drug in a 2009 raid.Gang violence is common here and a biker shootout earlier this year drew national attention. But violence on this scale was unheard of. [Los Angeles Times]
Some residents worry that the shooting will further tarnish San Bernardino's already hurting reputation and hinder its path to recovery post-bankruptcy. "These mass shootings are happening everywhere. It's a soullessness in the culture. We're losing our humanity," Michael Segura, 23, told the Los Angeles Times. "It just sucks this happened to happen in San Bernardino. It just puts more negative light on the city." Right now, one resident says, "it's like a ghost town."
Read the full story on San Bernardino residents' reactions at the Los Angeles Times.
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