The mass killing in San Jose is the 15th such incident this year in America. And now the community is mourning a ninth victim who died from gunshot wounds he received when a man opened fire at a light rail facility Wednesday morning. According to the Washington Post, “Those fatally shot included other Valley Transportation Authority workers from a diverse array of backgrounds, with ties to India and Mexico, ranging in age from 29 to 63. Authorities confirmed that some worked with the shooter at the agency of 2,000 employees that operates light-rail and bus services in Santa Clara County.”
The victims are identified as:
- Abdolvahab Alaghmandan, 63
- Adrian Balleza, 29
- Alex Ward Fritch, 49
- Jose Dejesus Hernandez III, 35
- Lars Kepler Lane, 63
- Paul Delacruz Megia, 42
- Timothy Michael Romo, 49
- Michael Joseph Rudometkin, 40
- Taptejdeep Singh, 36
The shooter, Samuel Cassidy, was an employee at the facility. He shot and killed himself as police moved in on him. NBC quotes Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith:
He had two semiautomatic handguns and 11 loaded magazines, according to the sheriff. Investigators are looking into whether Cassidy targeted specific co-workers, but they do know “he was very deliberate, very fast. He knew where employees would be,” Smith said.
A motive is still unclear. “What in the world could prompt someone to take this kind of action? We don’t know at this point,” Smith said.
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