San Francisco, May 27, 2021-
Nine people including the suspect were dead and at least one person was injured Wednesday morning after a shooting at a Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) yard north of downtown San Jose in the US state of California, according to the local authorities.
The Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that eight people died at the scene and one person was taken to a hospital, with no details on their conditions. The gunman also died at the scene, the Xinhua news agency reported.
Law enforcement officials identified the gunman as Samuel Cassidy, a 57-year-old VTA maintenance worker, whose motivation remained unknown.
Sheriff’s officials and VTA officials confirmed that the shooting occurred at the facility at 101 Younger Avenue, and some of the victims were VTA employees.
At about 6:35 a.m., San Jose police received multiple 911 calls about gunfire at the VTA yard, and units responded to the scene. The shooter was confirmed dead at about 8:10 a.m.
The FBI also responded to the scene at the light-rail facility and was actively engaged in the investigation, according to local media reports.
“This is a horrific day for our city, and it’s a tragic day for the VTA family,” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said. “Our heart pains for the families and the co-workers because we know that so many are feeling deeply this loss of their loved ones and their friends.”
A reunification centre for VTA employees and families was set up at the County Building near the scene for those who may be looking for each other, sheriff’s officials said.
VTA light rail service was suspended at noon until further notice.
Indian-origin man among 9 victims of mass shooting in California
An Indian-origin man, who saved at least one person in a California mass shooting, was among the nine people killed by a railway worker who killed himself in San Jose, according to officials.
Taptejdeep Singh, 36, was shot on Wednesday at a railway yard in the city in California’s Silicon Valley, by a fellow worker, according to the local Sheriff’s Office.
Singh was a train operator for the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, a local light rail system.
San Jose Mercury News quoted Singh’s brother, Bagga Singh, as saying that his brother “put a lady in a control room to hide. He saved her and rushed down the stairway.”
He said that although his brother may be considered a hero, “he should have saved his life, too. We lost a good person.”
The newspaper said that Singh’s brother-in-law, P.J. Bath, who also works as a light rail operator, said that Singh was working the early shift.
He said that Singh “was always helpful to everyone and caring.”
The home of the shooter, maintenance worker Samuel James Cassidy, 57, went up in flames around the time the shooting began.
The area around the train depot and station were put in a lockdown as law enforcement searched the area for bombs.
Mourning the deaths and the impact on families of the trade “union brothers and sisters,” President Joe Biden renewed his call for stricter gun laws in a country which sees frequent mass shootings.
Just over the weekend, a mass shooting in New Jersey killed two people and injured several others.
Officials said that Cassidy apparently killed himself.
A motive for the shooting was not known as of Thursday morning, but San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said that his co-workers had “expressed generalised concerns about his mental health.” (Agency)
Subscribe to YesPunjab Telegram Channel & receive important news updates
