Newly released internal documents obtained by the Investigative Unit through a public records request reveal what led up to VTA bus driver Douglas Lofstrom’s arrest last summer for making gun violence threats against other employees. The records also detail the chain of disciplinary events leading up to his eventual retirement on August 1.
On June 17, an employee wrote an email saying Operator Lofstrom came to the dispatch window and said, “When I go to River Oaks today, if I get fired, then I’m going to be shooting something up.” River Oaks is Valley Transportation Agency’s (VTA) building headquarters. It’s unclear why Lofstrom was initially heading there.
According to the email, Lofstrom said “he was just kidding.” A little while later, another person reported Lofstrom “made a similar comment” saying, “If I get fired today, you are going to see me on the news.”
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Santa Clara County deputies arrested Lofstrom that same day. He now faces criminal misdemeanor charges of making criminal threats, to which he’s pleaded not guilty.
On July 12, nearly a month after the incident, VTA sent Lofstrom a Notice of Proposed Termination. On August 1, Lofstrom retired.
The Investigative Unit confirmed this was not Lofstrom’s first disciplinary action for making comments about shooting. A 2018 personnel record shows he tried to get a ride on a work shuttle that was full and said, “I should get a gun and shoot everybody.” In that case, Lofstrom reportedly apologized. VTA issued him a warning and provided counseling services.
VTA declined an interview with the Investigative Unit, but released a statement saying, “Lofstrom did not return to VTA property after his arrest, and he is not permitted to enter VTA facilities … Criminal threats on VTA property will not be tolerated.”
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But not every employee thinks that’s enough to keep them safe, especially after VTA employee Sam Cassidy walked onto the agency’s light rail yard in May 2021 and shot and killed nine other workers before taking his own life.
A current VTA employee who does not want to be identified out of fear of retaliation sent NBC Bay Area a statement saying, “I’m afraid [Lofstrom] might flip and go back to the yard and shoot everybody. I am unarmed … VTA and ATU Leadership lack oversight. They ignored the problems thinking they will disappear or go away.”
John Courtney is the present of ATU Local 265 which represents VTA bus drivers. He said he understands this fear for personal safety more than most; he was in the room last year when Sam Cassidy opened fire killing his fellow employees.
“That’s a very legitimate concern ... we have to do everything we can to stop it. And I think it begins with ‘see something, say something,” he said.
Courtney added that he believes the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for VTA bus drivers pushed Lofstrom to make those threats last June.
“Him, along with a lot of other members did express this feeling of their head in a vase being squeezed into doing something that they religiously, morally felt there was alternative solutions, such as testing,” Courtney said.
The Investigative Unit reached out to VTA about how it handled the vaccine mandate and Lofstrom’s case. In a second statement, a spokesperson said “There is no reason for anyone to make threats of this nature, no matter what the excuse.”
NBC Bay Area already reached out to Lofstrom and his attorney, but did not hear back. Lofstrom has pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges and is expected to appear in court this Monday for a pretrial conference.
