At least eight people are dead after a shooter opened fire at the VTA light rail yard in San Jose, California. It happened just before 8 am Pacific time. The Santa Clara sheriff’s office warned that there was an active shooter but later said the gunman had taken his own life. No motive has been released.
BREAKING: At least eight people are confirmed dead after the mass shooting at a San Jose rail yard, in addition to the suspected shooter, police say https://t.co/BuWF2htFwf pic.twitter.com/ksGRW3gXSx
— CBS News (@CBSNews) May 26, 2021
Authorities confirm the suspect was an employee at the facility. The local Fox affiliate writes, “A mother of a VTA employee told KTVU her son called her to say that he was now safe in the auditorium of the sheriff’s office. Her son told her that the shooting occurred during a union meeting.”
The Los Angeles Times writes:
The suspect set his own house on fire, then drove to a Valley Transportation Authority union meeting and began shooting, law enforcement sources said.
The gunman was identified by sources as Samuel Cassidy, 57, a maintenance worker at the VTA.
Authorities believe there are still explosive devices at the VTA site.
We are still awaiting many of the details of this latest mass shooting in San Jose, but there are some things we know for sure. There are at least eight families who will never be whole again. Every life taken by a bullet pierces the soul of our nation.
We must do more.
— President Biden (@POTUS) May 26, 2021
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