Multiple Dead at San Jose Rail Yard Shooting

Multiple Dead at San Jose Rail Yard Shooting

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.

About the Author

Ralph C. Jensen is the Publisher/Editor in chief of Security Today magazine.

Featured

New Products

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • 4K Video Decoder

    3xLOGIC’s VH-DECODER-4K is perfect for use in organizations of all sizes in diverse vertical sectors such as retail, leisure and hospitality, education and commercial premises.

  • Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden CM-221 Series Switches

    Camden Door Controls is pleased to announce that, in response to soaring customer demand, it has expanded its range of ValueWave™ no-touch switches to include a narrow (slimline) version with manual override. This override button is designed to provide additional assurance that the request to exit switch will open a door, even if the no-touch sensor fails to operate. This new slimline switch also features a heavy gauge stainless steel faceplate, a red/green illuminated light ring, and is IP65 rated, making it ideal for indoor or outdoor use as part of an automatic door or access control system. ValueWave™ no-touch switches are designed for easy installation and trouble-free service in high traffic applications. In addition to this narrow version, the CM-221 & CM-222 Series switches are available in a range of other models with single and double gang heavy-gauge stainless steel faceplates and include illuminated light rings.