'He Scares Me': VTA Shooter Had History Of Workplace Conflict

SAN JOSE, CA — A coworker of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority employee who opened fire in the May 26 mass shooting at a VTA rail yard said last year of the shooter: “He scares me. If someone was to go postal, it’d be him.”

Samuel Cassidy, a 20-year employee of VTA, killed nine coworkers before turning the gun on himself. According to a review of personnel files and documents made public by VTA on Thursday, the 57-year-old Cassidy had four separate incidents throughout his career that were elevated to management and he received disciplinary actions that ranged from a verbal action to a two-day leave without pay.

However, Cassidy’s personnel file didn’t indicate any formal discipline for threatening behavior or violence, VTA officials said.

The comment made regarding Cassidy occurred in January 2020 following a verbal altercation involving Cassidy and a coworker. A coworker, citing another unnamed employee, informed a supervisor of the comment but refused to name the employee, according to VTA.

The transit agency could not find any information in documents to explain or support the employee’s concern and the matter was referred back to Cassidy’s department manager, according to VTA.

All four reported incidents involving Cassidy occurred between July 2019 and November 2020.

VTA didn’t locate any records provided by any federal agency, including the Department of Homeland Security, about Cassidy. However, in 2016, U.S. Customs officials had detained and questioned Cassidy when they found on him books about terrorism and a notebook with notes detailing his hatred for his employer, The Wall Street Journal reported.

An investigation by NBC Bay Area also found that Cassidy was under investigation for inappropriate behavior and was scheduled to attend a disciplinary hearing on the day of the attack.

Cassidy, who is believed to have acted alone, has been described by coworkers as being “disgruntled” about his job, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s office.

A search of Cassidy’s home on May 28 revealed approximately 22,000 rounds of ammunition, 12 firearms, apparent Molotov Cocktails and multiple cans of gasoline, according to the sheriff’s office.

Cassidy was “prepared to use his firearms to take as many lives as he possibly could” and that the shooting “was a planned event,” the sheriff’s office said.

Authorities found three semi-automatic handguns and 32 magazines full of ammunition in his possession following the shooting. There also were bomb materials found in his work locker, officials said.

Other incidents reported by VTA regarding Cassidy involved apparent minor infractions like insubordination, refusing to attend a mandatory CPR recertification class and improper radio communication.

In July 0f 2019, VTA records indicate Cassidy didn't follow protocol while he was signing out a two-way radio and was sent home for two days without pay.

According to VTA, Cassidy cited concerns about COVID-19 when he refused to take the class in October 2020. VTA officials said they provided a “number of reasonable accommodations with no ultimate resolution.”

A month later, Cassidy had trouble clocking in for a work shift and violated VTA policy by using a two-way radio for personal communication, according to VTA. He then “left work without permission instead of resolving the problem,” VTA officials said.

VTA said there are thousands of pages including emails, attachments and other materials as part of public records requests that have not yet been reviewed. The transit agency said it will provide additional documents “as soon as it is practical,” but it has made public the “most pertinent information related to our quest to provide answers to this senseless tragedy.”