San Jose Shooting: Vigil Planned For Victims; Police Seek Answers

SAN JOSE, CA — A community is mourning as it tries to cope a day after a single gunman opened fire at a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority light rail yard in San Jose, killing nine people before turning the gun on himself.

Police were called to the VTA Guadalupe facility on West Younger Avenue around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday for a report of an active shooter, police said. The rail yard serves as a maintenance facility for VTA, a transit agency serving Santa Clara County with more than 2,000 employees.

On Thursday, the Santa Clara County medical examiner's office confirmed the shooter was 57-year-old Samuel Cassidy, a VTA employee who was identified in several earlier media reports.

Cassidy reportedly fired gunshots in two different buildings. Authorities also discovered three semi-automatic handguns and 32 magazines full of ammunition, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said Thursday.

There also were bomb materials found in his work locker, KRON reported.

Wednesday’s shooting was the deadliest in the Bay Area since a 1993 shooting at a building in San Francisco in which eight people were killed, along with the shooter.

Here’s what we know in the wake of the deadly shooting:

1. Ten people are dead following the shooting.

The number of people fatally shot rose late Wednesday night after the Santa Clara County’s medical examiner confirmed the death of a ninth victim, who had been wounded and hospitalized in critical condition after the attack.

The victims were identified Wednesday evening by the Santa Clara County coroner's office after their next of kin were notified. The victims are:

• Paul Delacruz Megia, age 42
• Taptejdeep Singh, age 36
• Adrian Balleza, age 29
• Jose Dejesus Hernandez III, age 35
• Timothy Michael Romo, age 49
• Michael Joseph Rudometkin, age 40
• Abdolvahab Alaghmandan, age 63
• Lars Kepler Lane, age 63
• Alex Ward Fritch, age 49

Those killed were employees who had been bus and light rail operators, mechanics, linemen and an assistant superintendent over the course of their careers. One had worked for the agency since 1999.

RELATED: San Jose Shooting Victims Remembered As Dedicated VTA Employees

Singh worked as a light rail train driver for just under a decade, The Associated Press reported. He had a wife, two small children and many family members, cousin Bagga Singh told The AP.

“We heard that he chose the people to shoot, but I don’t know why they chose him because he has nothing to do with him,” Singh told The AP.

Rudometkin was a close friend of San Jose City Councilman Raul Peralez.

“There are no words to describe the heartache we are feeling right now, especially for his family,” Peralez wrote on Facebook on Wednesday. “Eight families are feeling this same sense of loss tonight and our entire community is mourning as well.”

A vigil to remember the shooting victims will be held at 6 p.m. Thursday at City Hall Plaza, San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo wrote on Twitter.

“This is a moment for us to come together and grieve after today’s horrific tragedy,” Liccardo tweeted on Wednesday.

The shooter is also dead, authorities confirmed Wednesday.

“When our deputies went through the door, initially he was still firing rounds. When our deputy saw him, he took his life,” Smith told reporters.

2. A fund has been set up to support families of the victims.

The San Jose-based community organization Working Partnerships USA and the South Bay Labor Council set up a fund to support families of the shooting victims. Donations can be made here.

“We are all profoundly affected by the shooting at the VTA Younger Light Rail station,” fund organizers wrote. “Many of you have asked how you can help.”

Donations will be used to “support those directly impacted by this tragedy,” organizers wrote.

3. Those who knew the shooter speak out.

Cassidy talked about killing people at work more than a decade ago, his ex-wife told The Associated Press.

“I never believed him, and it never happened. Until now," a tearful Cecilia Nelms told The AP on Wednesday.

The two were married for about 10 years until a 2005 divorce filing, and she hadn't been in touch with Cassidy for about 13 years, Nelms said.

ABC 7 in San Francisco also spoke with a woman who said she dated Cassidy. The woman also had a court case against Cassidy in 2009.

In the court documents, Cassidy was described as volatile and violent, with major mood swings because of bipolar disorder that became worse when he drank heavily, according to an AP report.

Several times while he was drunk, Cassidy forced himself on her sexually despite her refusals, pinning her arms with his body weight, the woman alleged in a 2009 sworn statement filed after Cassidy had sought a restraining order against her.

Cassidy also complained about his job, saying that it was “too much work, stressful, his boss was mean to him," his ex-girlfriend told the news station.

She also told ABC 7 that he was "not mentally stable.”

"I was lucky he didn't kill me," she said.

4. No motive is known.

Police are still searching for a possible motive behind the killings. On Thursday, authorities said they had reason to believe Cassidy had been a "highly disgruntled VTA employee."

Cassidy reportedly fired 39 shots and appeared to target some of the victims, Smith told The AP on Thursday. Smith said the shooter told at least one person: “I’m not going to shoot you.” He then shot two other people.

Cassidy’s ex-wife said he used to come home from work resentful and angry over what he perceived as unfair assignments.

“He could dwell on things," she told The AP.

On Wednesday, the San Jose Fire Department responded to a house fire in East San Jose at 6:36 a.m., which Liccardo confirmed was the alleged shooter's house. Liccardo said nobody was found inside the house. A heavy police presence remained at the scene, and a one-block radius around the home was evacuated.

"It would appear that the fire was set as the shooter was on his way to the worksite," Liccardo said.

The shooting is still under investigation, which officials say could take several days

5. Light rail remains suspended as a company mourns.

On Wednesday, VTA officials suspended light rail service until further notice. The suspension remained in effect Thursday.

VTA confirmed the victims’ names in a post on its website titled, “Our Hearts Are Broken.”

“We do not have the words to express the weight of this moment,” VTA officials wrote. “We are grateful to our community for their love and support as we mourn the loss of nine victims of the horrific event of Wednesday.”