9 dead in San Jose, California Train yard shooting

[95X]

I've seen some discussion of this, but no sources or real information. "TL;DR" is: an employee of San Jose, CA's VTA public transportation agency opened fire at the agencies' light rail facility, killing 8 people including themself.

https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/police-deputies-respond-to-shooting-near-downtown-san-jose/2554847/

Mass Shooting Leaves 8 Dead at VTA Yard in San Jose: Sheriff
Gunman, a VTA employee, also is dead after opening fire at rail facility on Younger Avenue north of downtown

Eight people were killed and one person was in critical condition Wednesday morning after a shooting at a Valley Transportation Authority yard north of downtown San Jose, according to authorities.

The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office confirmed eight people died, seven at the scene and one at Valley Medical Center in San Jose. One other person was taken to the hospital and was in critical condition, a hospital official confirmed.

The gunman also died at the scene, officials said.

Sheriff's officials and VTA officials confirmed the shooting occurred at the facility at 101 Younger Ave., and some of the victims were VTA employees.

"This is a horrific day for our city, and it's a tragic day for the VTA family," San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said. "Our heart pains for the families and the co-workers because we know that so many are feeling deeply this loss of their loved ones and their friends."

At about 6:35 a.m., San Jose police received multiple 911 calls about gunfire at the VTA yard, and units responded to the scene at Younger Avenue and San Pedro Street. Dozens of San Jose police and Santa Clara County sheriff's vehicles responded to the scene.

Officials with the FBI and Department of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms also responded to the shooting scene at the light-rail facility and were actively engaged in the investigation. Bomb squad personnel were conducting a search of the VTA facility for possible explosive devices.

Sheriff's officials confirmed at about 8:10 a.m. the shooter was dead, but the cause of death was not immediately clear.

Several law enforcement officials identified the gunman as Samuel Cassidy, an employee of VTA, and some of them said he killed himself at the scene.

Sheriff’s deputies and the FBI also responded to Cassidy's home in the 1100 block of Angmar Court in San Jose, where there was a fire earlier Wednesday morning. They are investigating whether the fire was set before the shooting. SJPD's bomb squad personnel also responded to the home.

[…]

VTA light rail service will be suspended at noon until further notice, and bus bridges will be established, officials said.

It's obvious that further information isn't available at this time, and authorities are still investigating. I can't help but to draw parallels between this real-life investigation and the 1994 movie Speed, where the antagonist targets public transportation and rigs his home for when law enforcement arrives.

I'm a lifelong public transportation rider/enthusiast/advocate, so this one really hits close to home for me, despite the fact I live in the Pacific Northwest. Those that I've come to know that are in public transportation in the United States are some of the most dedicated people I know. There's something I really, really, really want to say, but some could say 'hey that's our slogan'.

Meanwhile, a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation found that 41% of adults in the United States are experiencing symptoms of anxiety and/or depression, compared to 11% in 2019, and those who are considered "essential workers" (for which public transit is a part) are more likely to experience those symptoms, or worse. And that's just from glossing over the graphics on the linked report page.

Should people be more informed of signs and symptoms that someone might harm themselves or others? Should people know the contact methods for crisis intervention services in their area, so they can suggest someone call a particular number or go to a particular resource versus a generic "get help if you need it"? Should society be more willing to discuss mental health in general?

Regarding this incident, I've got to hand it to those who are keeping the agency going despite all of this. I hope we can do more to protect overall safety of public transit in the US, anyone else with other thoughts on the matter?

[Gig em Aggies]

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/trans ... d=msedgntp

A public transit employee opened fire on co-workers at a Northern California rail yard Wednesday, killing more than a half-dozen people before taking his own life, authorities saidCalls of shots fired came about 6:34 a.m. PT near 100 W. Younger Ave. in downtown San Jose, drawing a large law enforcement response, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said.The shooter was identified as Samuel Cassidy, an employee of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), law enforcement sources said. He shot and killed himself at the scene, according to sources.

At least eight people were killed, not including the shooter, sheriff's Deputy Russell Davis said.

"This is a horrific day for our city and it is a tragic day for the VTA family, and our heart pains for the families and the co-workers because we know so many are feeling deeply this loss of their loved ones and their friends," San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo told reporters at the scene.

Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith said her deputies and San Jose police officers arrived quickly after the initial 911 calls.

“When the shots were still being fired, our teams, with San Jose PD, are entering the building while shots were still going off. We attempted rescues," Smith said. "We have some very brave officers and deputies."

Citing an "active shooter," deputies told the public at 7:12 a.m. PT to steer clear of the neighborhood, about 50 miles south of downtown San Francisco.

Even hours after the shooter died, a bomb squad was clearing the area in case he left explosives behind.

“We received information that there are explosive devices that are located inside the building,” Davis told reporters at the scene. “ We’re trying to clear out every room, every crevice of that building.”

The dead suspect is believed to be the only shooter involved, according to officials.

"Public safety is assured at this point," Davis said.

At about the same time gunfire erupted at the VTA yard, San Jose firefighters rushed to a home about 10 miles away that was engulfed by flames, officials said.

That home, near 1100 Angmar Ct., is the suspect's, law enforcement sources said. Investigators believe there was ammunition inside the home and firefighters smelled an accelerant when they arrived, sources said.

"We're trying to figure out, exactly, if there's a connection" between the fire and shooting, Davis said.

The Younger Avenue address is a light rail yard of the VTA, which provides bus, rail and various shuttle services to the booming Bay Area suburb and technology hub.

Davis called the shooting scene a VTA "control center" which is a "hub that stores multiple VTA trains and a maintenance yard as well."

The shooting happened "on the VTA light rail yard but it did not happen in the operations control center," VTA Board Chairman Glenn Hendricks said. Hendricks added he was proud of transit workers who stayed on the job and kept moving commuters even in the face of Wednesday's mass shooting.

"A horrible tragedy has happened today," Hendricks said. “I could not be more proud of the VTA organization. As I drove here, I saw VTA buses out on the road."

The suspect was described as a "substation maintainer," law enforcement sources said. And state public employee records showed a VTA employee named Samuel Cassidy, with that same position, who made $114,426.17 in 2019 wages, the last data available.

The shooting scene is at the center of regional law enforcement operations, as the rail yard is within a half-mile of the San Jose Police Department, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office and District Attorney headquarters.

The shooting comes amid a yearlong rise in nationwide gun violence and record firearm sales.

White House principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the federal government is keeping in close contact with law enforcement in San Jose.

"We will continue to stay in close contact with them and offer any assistance as needed," she said. "We still don't know all of the details ... but what's clear, as the president has said, is that we are suffering from an epidemic of gun violence in this country, both in mass shootings and in the lives that are being taken in daily gun violence that doesn't make national headlines."

If you or someone you know needs mental health support, contact the National Alliance on Mental Illness Helpline at 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) or info@nami.org. If you or someone you know is at risk of suicide, please call the U.S. National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255, text TALK to 741741 or go to SpeakingOfSuicide.com/resources for additional resources.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1800-273-TALK (8255), text "help" to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.

[Borderlands of Rojava]

Everyone: I'm so glad the vaccines work well and things are going back to normal.

*Goes back to normal in some bad ways*

[Ethel mermania]

Proud of my transit brothers and sisters who kept the system moving.

Hopefully the agency takes care of their families

[The Black Forrest]

Looks like the shooter may have shot himself. The sheriff department reported they did not exchange gun fire. Bomb guys still going.

No word on the coworkers brother……

[Thermodolia]

Ya know investing in mental health and beefing up our social safety nets might not be a bad idea

[National Capitalist United States]

Ya know investing in mental health and beefing up our social safety nets might not be a bad idea

[Lady Victory]

Ya know investing in mental health and beefing up our social safety nets might not be a bad idea

No, that's silly.

Let's just ban everything I don't like instead. I think that's a far more sensible solution, don't you?

/s

[Washington Resistance Army]

Ya know investing in mental health and beefing up our social safety nets might not be a bad idea

Literally communism

[Borderlands of Rojava]

Ya know investing in mental health and beefing up our social safety nets might not be a bad idea

If we do that we will literally have gulags going up by next week.

[Kowani]

The victims have been identified

[Borderlands of Rojava]

(Image)

The victims have been identified

Were they workers?

[Kowani]

(Image)

The victims have been identified

Were they workers?

all of them, yes
the shooter was as well