A gunman who killed 9 folks at a California rail yard fired 39 pictures and appeared to focus on a few of the victims, a sheriff advised The Related Press on Thursday.Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith stated the shooter advised no less than one particular person: “I am not going to shoot you” at a lightweight rail facility for the Valley Transportation Authority in San Jose. He then shot different folks with two semi-automatic handguns Wednesday.He later killed himself as deputies closed in to the rail yard serving the county of greater than 1 million folks within the coronary heart of Silicon Valley. Greater than 100 folks have been within the facility on the time.Investigators have been serving search warrants on the gunman’s residence and cellphone, in search of to find out what prompted the bloodshed, Smith stated.She stated he additionally appeared to have set a timer or slow-burn gadget to set his residence on fireplace. The fireplace was reported minutes after the primary 911 calls got here in from the rail facility.”I am unsure we’ll ever truly discover the actual motive, however we’ll piece it collectively as a lot as we are able to from witnesses,” the sheriff stated in an interview.The County of Santa Clara’s Workplace of the Medical Examiner-Coroner has recognized all 9 victims beneath:Paul Delacruz Megia, 42Taptejdeep Singh, 36Adrian Balleza, 29Jose Dejesus Hernandez III, 35Timothy Michael Romo, 49Michael Joseph Rudometkin, 40Abdolvahab Alaghmandan, 63Lars Kepler Lane, 63 Alex Ward Fritch, 49The attacker was recognized as 57-year-old Samuel Cassidy, based on two legislation enforcement officers who weren’t approved to debate the investigation publicly and spoke to The Related Press on situation of anonymity.His ex-wife stated he had talked about killing folks at work greater than a decade in the past.”I by no means believed him, and it by no means occurred. Till now,” a tearful Cecilia Nelms advised The Related Press on Wednesday.She stated he used to come back residence from work resentful and indignant over what he perceived as unfair assignments.Video above: Neighbors describe interactions with suspected San Jose shooter, fireplace at residence”He may dwell on issues,” she stated. The 2 have been married for about 10 years till a 2005 divorce submitting, and he or she hadn’t been in contact with Cassidy for about 13 years, Nelms stated.Apart from the 2 handguns, Cassidy had 11 loaded magazines, Smith stated. A locker on the rail yard believed to be the gunman’s contained “supplies for bombs, detonator cords, the precursors to an explosive,” the sheriff advised NBC’s “Immediately” present on Thursday. It was the fifteenth mass killing within the U.S. this yr, all shootings that claimed no less than 4 lives every for a complete of 87 deaths, based on a database compiled by The Related Press, USA Immediately and Northeastern College.President Joe Biden ordered flags to be flown at half-staff and urged Congress to behave on laws to curb gun violence. “Each life that’s taken by a bullet pierces the soul of our nation. We are able to, and we should, do extra,” Biden stated in an announcement.Gov. Gavin Newsom additionally spoke emotionally Wednesday concerning the nation’s newest mass killing.”There is a numbness a few of us are feeling about this. There is a sameness to this,” he advised reporters. “It begs the rattling query of what the hell is occurring in the US of America?” There was nothing in public information to point Cassidy ever obtained in bother with the legislation. He obtained a visitors ticket in 2019, and sheriff’s officers stated they have been nonetheless investigating his background.However in courtroom paperwork filed in 2009, an ex-girlfriend described him as risky and violent, with main temper swings due to bipolar dysfunction that grew to become worse when he drank closely.A number of occasions whereas he was drunk, Cassidy compelled himself on her sexually regardless of her refusals, pinning her arms along with his physique weight, the girl alleged in a sworn assertion filed after Cassidy sought a restraining order in opposition to her. The paperwork have been obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle.The Related Press typically doesn’t title individuals who say they’ve been sexually assaulted.Cassidy had labored for Valley Transportation Authority since no less than 2012, based on the general public payroll and pension database Clear California, first as a mechanic from 2012 to 2014, then sustaining substations.Officers investigated a home fireplace that broke out shortly earlier than the taking pictures, sheriff’s Deputy Russell Davis stated. Public information present Cassidy owned the two-story residence the place firefighters responded after being notified by a passerby.The gunman most likely “set some type of a tool to go off at a sure time most likely to coincide with the taking pictures,” the sheriff advised “Immediately.”Doug Suh, who lives throughout the road, advised The Mercury Information in San Jose that Cassidy appeared “unusual” and that he by no means noticed anybody go to.”I might say howdy, and he’d simply have a look at me with out saying something,” Suh stated. As soon as, Cassidy yelled at him to remain away as he was backing up his automotive. “After that, I by no means talked to him once more.”Wednesday’s assault was the deadliest taking pictures within the San Francisco Bay Space since 1993, when a gunman attacked legislation places of work in San Francisco’s Monetary District, killing eight folks earlier than taking his personal life.It additionally was Santa Clara County’s second mass taking pictures in lower than two years. A gunman killed three folks after which himself at a well-liked garlic competition in Gilroy in July 2019.___Associated Press journalists Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco, Martha Mendoza in Santa Cruz, John Antczak in Los Angeles, and Michael Balsamo and Colleen Lengthy in Washington contributed to this report.
A gunman who killed 9 folks at a California rail yard fired 39 pictures and appeared to focus on a few of the victims, a sheriff advised The Related Press on Thursday.
Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith stated the shooter advised no less than one particular person: “I am not going to shoot you” at a lightweight rail facility for the Valley Transportation Authority in San Jose. He then shot different folks with two semi-automatic handguns Wednesday.
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He later killed himself as deputies closed in to the rail yard serving the county of greater than 1 million folks within the coronary heart of Silicon Valley. Greater than 100 folks have been within the facility on the time.
Investigators have been serving search warrants on the gunman’s residence and cellphone, in search of to find out what prompted the bloodshed, Smith stated.
She stated he additionally appeared to have set a timer or slow-burn gadget to set his residence on fireplace. The fireplace was reported minutes after the primary 911 calls got here in from the rail facility.
“I am unsure we’ll ever truly discover the actual motive, however we’ll piece it collectively as a lot as we are able to from witnesses,” the sheriff stated in an interview.
The County of Santa Clara’s Workplace of the Medical Examiner-Coroner has recognized all 9 victims beneath:
- 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
- Lars Kepler Lane, 63
- Alex Ward Fritch, 49
The attacker was recognized as 57-year-old Samuel Cassidy, based on two legislation enforcement officers who weren’t approved to debate the investigation publicly and spoke to The Related Press on situation of anonymity.
His ex-wife stated he had talked about killing folks at work greater than a decade in the past.
“I by no means believed him, and it by no means occurred. Till now,” a tearful Cecilia Nelms advised The Related Press on Wednesday.
She stated he used to come back residence from work resentful and indignant over what he perceived as unfair assignments.
Video above: Neighbors describe interactions with suspected San Jose shooter, fireplace at residence
“He may dwell on issues,” she stated. The 2 have been married for about 10 years till a 2005 divorce submitting, and he or she hadn’t been in contact with Cassidy for about 13 years, Nelms stated.
Apart from the 2 handguns, Cassidy had 11 loaded magazines, Smith stated. A locker on the rail yard believed to be the gunman’s contained “supplies for bombs, detonator cords, the precursors to an explosive,” the sheriff advised NBC’s “Immediately” present on Thursday.
It was the fifteenth mass killing within the U.S. this yr, all shootings that claimed no less than 4 lives every for a complete of 87 deaths, based on a database compiled by The Related Press, USA Immediately and Northeastern College.
President Joe Biden ordered flags to be flown at half-staff and urged Congress to behave on laws to curb gun violence.
“Each life that’s taken by a bullet pierces the soul of our nation. We are able to, and we should, do extra,” Biden stated in an announcement.
Gov. Gavin Newsom additionally spoke emotionally Wednesday concerning the nation’s newest mass killing.
“There is a numbness a few of us are feeling about this. There is a sameness to this,” he advised reporters. “It begs the rattling query of what the hell is occurring in the US of America?”
There was nothing in public information to point Cassidy ever obtained in bother with the legislation. He obtained a visitors ticket in 2019, and sheriff’s officers stated they have been nonetheless investigating his background.
However in courtroom paperwork filed in 2009, an ex-girlfriend described him as risky and violent, with main temper swings due to bipolar dysfunction that grew to become worse when he drank closely.
A number of occasions whereas he was drunk, Cassidy compelled himself on her sexually regardless of her refusals, pinning her arms along with his physique weight, the girl alleged in a sworn assertion filed after Cassidy sought a restraining order in opposition to her. The paperwork have been obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Related Press typically doesn’t title individuals who say they’ve been sexually assaulted.
Cassidy had labored for Valley Transportation Authority since no less than 2012, based on the general public payroll and pension database Clear California, first as a mechanic from 2012 to 2014, then sustaining substations.
Officers investigated a home fireplace that broke out shortly earlier than the taking pictures, sheriff’s Deputy Russell Davis stated. Public information present Cassidy owned the two-story residence the place firefighters responded after being notified by a passerby.
The gunman most likely “set some type of a tool to go off at a sure time most likely to coincide with the taking pictures,” the sheriff advised “Immediately.”
Doug Suh, who lives throughout the road, advised The Mercury Information in San Jose that Cassidy appeared “unusual” and that he by no means noticed anybody go to.
“I might say howdy, and he’d simply have a look at me with out saying something,” Suh stated. As soon as, Cassidy yelled at him to remain away as he was backing up his automotive. “After that, I by no means talked to him once more.”
Wednesday’s assault was the deadliest taking pictures within the San Francisco Bay Space since 1993, when a gunman attacked legislation places of work in San Francisco’s Monetary District, killing eight folks earlier than taking his personal life.
It additionally was Santa Clara County’s second mass taking pictures in lower than two years. A gunman killed three folks after which himself at a well-liked garlic competition in Gilroy in July 2019.
___
Related Press journalists Jocelyn Gecker in San Francisco, Martha Mendoza in Santa Cruz, John Antczak in Los Angeles, and Michael Balsamo and Colleen Lengthy in Washington contributed to this report.
