San Jose Mass Shooting: Shooter Kills Nine Peers in California Before Taking His Own Life

Yet another shooting incident broke the hearts of Americans. According to People, the mass shooting that took place in San Jose, California, on 26 May 2021, claimed the lives of nine people and left many others injured. 

The horrific tragedy unfolded at around 6:34 a.m. A gunman reportedly opened fire at a light rail yard. Emergency operators received multiple alerts about shots being fired at a facility operated by the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), Santa Clara County's public transportation system.  

As per Los Angeles Times, employees were gathered at the rail yard for a union meeting at the time of the shooting. Moments after shots were fired, the authorities arrived at the scene to find the shooter, who took his own life. He was later identified as 57-year-old Sam Cassidy. 

Cassidy worked at the light rail yard for about eight years. The authorities stated that he shot everyone in the morning shift, including the ones who worked with him for years. 

Video footage obtained by the authorities from the shooter's neighbor's security camera showed the man getting into a white pickup earlier that morning.  He was dressed in a safety jacket and pants with florescent strips and carrying a black duffel bag. 

All the victims of the incident are males. Though the initial count was eight, one succumbed to his injuries in the evening of 26 May 2021. 

They were identified as: Paul Delacruz Megia, 42; Taptejdeep Singh, 36; Adrian Balleza, 29; Jose Dejesus Hernandez III, 35; Timothy Michael Romo, 49; Michael Joseph Rudometkin, 40; Abdolvahab Alaghmandan, 63; and Lars Kepler Lane, 63.

“Our hearts are broken. These are members of the community. These are members of our families," said San Jose Mayor Liccardo, according to Los Angeles Times. “These are women and men who supported our community through the pandemic,” said Liccardo. 

Santa Clara County Supervisor Mike Wasserman said he was in a state of shock. He stated, "I just want to remind everybody that these folks were heroes during COVID-19. The buses never stopped running, VTA didn’t stop running. They just kept at work. Now, we’re really calling on them to be heroes a second time — to survive this terrible, terrible tragedy.”

Meanwhile, Governor Gavin Newsom met the families of the victims and condemned the incident. He said there is a “sameness and a numbness to these incidents." He added, "What the hell’s going on in the United States of America? What the hell’s wrong with us? And when are we going to come to grips with this?”

President Joe Biden, too,  acknowledged the shooting and urged Congress to take urgent actions  “to help end this epidemic of gun violence in America.”

He added, "There are at least eight families who will never be whole again,” Biden said. “There are children, parents, and spouses who are waiting to hear whether someone they love is ever going to come home. There are union brothers and sisters—good, honest, hardworking people—who are mourning their own.”

The incident marks the 231st incident in the United States in 2021, and we are just 5 months into the year. Despite California being known for its tough gun laws, the authorities have not been able to avoid these unannounced events of terror. 

References: 

https://people.com/crime/remembering-nine-victims-san-jose-mass-shooting/

https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2021-05-26/police-swarm-active-shooter-incident-in-san-jose

Cover Image Source: Getty Images | Photo by Philip Pacheco