Multiple Dead at San Jose Rail Yard Shooting

• By Ralph C. Jensen
• May 26, 2021

More than a half dozen people have been shot and killed as a public transit employee open fire on coworkers at a Northern California rail yard this morning. The rail yard is located in downtown San Jose, about 50 miles south of downtown San Francisco.

At least eight people were killed before the shooter (Samuel Cassidy, 57), a railway technician, took his own life. He was an employee of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). The shooter began his path of destruction before 6:30 a.m. local time as fire crews were dispatched to his home, which he had set on fire. He arrived on site and began shooting during a union meeting.

The active shooter call brought numerous law enforcement representatives to the scene, even while the shooter was still active inside a building. Once the shooter took his own life, a bomb squad was activated to clear the area of potential explosives.

"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.

The area of the shooting is a light rail yard, which also provides bus, rail and some shuttle services. This area also is described as a control center, but is not part of the operations control center.

The circumstances of the shooting remain unclear at this time.

This is a developing story, and will be updated as more information becomes available.