San Jose Mass Shooting: 10 Dead Including Gunman At VTA Rail Yard; Victims Identities Released
SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) — Ten people are dead following a mass shooting at VTA rail yard in San Jose Wednesday morning.
The ninth victim, Alex Ward Fritch, age 49, died in the hospital late Wednesday night.
The shooter, a VTA employee, is among the dead, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Department spokesperson Russell Davis said.
Several others are injured, Davis said. One person is in critical condition at Valley Medical Center.
The suspect has been identified as 57-year-old Samuel J. Cassidy. He reportedly set fire to his home on Angmar Court before the shooting. When firefighters arrived on the scene, no one was inside the home.
Officials have identified all of the victims. Among them is a 36-year-old father of two and a longtime friend of a San Jose council member.
“It would appear as if the fire was set as the shooter was on his way to the worksite,” said San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo.
Video obtained by ABC7 News from one of the shooter’s neighbors shows a huge plume of smoke rising from the house and firefighters arrive on the scene. The video was taken about the same time the shooting began at the rail yard.
The first calls came in at 6:34 a.m. The shooting was in the area of 100 W. Younger Avenue at a VTA control center and rail yard, where light rail cars are stored. The building is not open to the public, so the shooter would have needed employee access or to have broken in, said VTA spokesperson Brandi Childress.
At the time of the shooting, there was a union meeting going on with about 80 people in attendance.
When law enforcement arrived on the scene, multiple people had been shot in two separate buildings, the sheriff’s office said, and the shooting was ongoing. About 40 people were rescued from inside by multiple law enforcement agencies who responded to the scene.
Deputies didn’t fire their weapons, Davis said, leading them to believe the gunman died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
During their investigation, bomb-sniffing dogs flagged officers to potential explosives, prompting them to clear the building. Law enforcement expects to be on scene through the night thoroughly searching the building. Bomb squad technicians were also searching the suspect’s home for explosives Wednesday. Ammunition and canisters were found at the suspect’s home and sources tell ABC News he had multiple weapons.
“This is every mayor’s worst nightmare,” said Mayor Liccardo.
Gov. Gavin Newsom, who arrived in San Jose Wednesday afternoon called the tragedy part of a “pandemic of gun violence.”
“There’s a numbness I imagine some of us are feeling about this because there’s a sameness,” Newsom said. “It feels like this happens over and over and over again. Rinse and repeat, rinse and repeat.”
He urged leaders to “wake up to this reality and take a little damn responsibility” and to “move beyond the platitudes and usual rhetoric.”
Family members looking for loved ones are asked to go to 70 W. Hedding St. or call 408-209-8356. A Family Assistance Center will also be open at the Red Cross blood donation site at 2731 N. First St.
Concerned and distraught family members started to gather at the reunification site as word got out. Several people told ABC7 News they weren’t able to reach loved ones by phone. One person was trying to use Apple’s “Find My iPhone” feature to track down a family member. They saw the iPhone was on and in the building, but wasn’t moving.
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Starting at noon, VTA suspended all light rail service. The agency added bus bridges to ensure continued service.
“The light rail yard remains an active investigation scene, limiting our ability to provide service,” the agency tweeted.
A fund has been set up to support victims’ families. For information on how to donate, click here.
A vigil is planned for 6 p.m. Thursday at City Hall Plaza in San Jose.
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