What is known about the shooting in San José: the perpetrator chose his victims before taking his own life

This week, news of a mass shooting made the city of San José, California mourn. A man identified as 57-year-old Sam Cassidy shot his coworkers at close range.

History has shocked USA, especially after it became known that the killer chose each of his victims. Everything was planned. The episode occurred last Wednesday, in the maneuvering yard of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) and left ten dead, including the attacker.

As reported by the chain “Univision“, the witness Kirk Bertolet said the attacker was in an office near the scene. “I was selecting certain people. Of others, it passed by. He let some live while he shot others to death”.

The moment the perpetrator left the area, Bertolet He went to help the victims and saw a real scene of horror. “I saw a mass of bodies. I went to see if someone was alive, if I could do something for someone and I saw some people breathe for the last time”.

The witness who has worked for 12 years at VTA was surprised to recognize the man who had attacked his co-workers, as he had a cordial relationship with him. In addition, he said that this happened because of the “work culture” in the company because “sometimes we are brutal with each other”.

County sheriff Santa Clara, Laurie Smith, also said in a press conference that, in at least one case, Cassidy went to one of his colleagues and said “I’m not going to shoot you”.

Smith also revealed that the suspect fired 39 times after entering his workplace armed with two semi-automatic pistols and eleven magazines of ammunition.

Death toll increased

In principle, the authorities had reported nine deaths, including the attacker. Several of the victims were Latino. However, one more person died after the event in a medical center.

The dead, who were identified this Thursday by the police, were all employees of the VTA, and therefore, companions of Cassidy.

Their names and ages are: Paul Delacruz Megía, 42; Taptejdeep Singh, 36; Adrián Balleza, 29; José De Jesús Hernández, 35; Timothy Michael Romo, 49; Michael Joseph Rudometkin, 40; Abdolvahab Alaghmandan, 63; Lars Kepler Lane, 63; and Alex Ward Fritch, 49.

The latter died in the past few hours at the hospital, where he had been transferred in critical condition, and increased the total of deaths from the shooting at 10 (including his own Cassidy, who committed suicide).

What happened?

The police received the first warning call of the shooting at 06:34 on Wednesday local time, just as the shift change occurred in which the employees of the night shift left and those in the morning arrived.

The agents who appeared in the area after receiving the alert did not get to fire a single shot, but they cornered the suspect and were able to observe how he was killed by a shot.

Just before heading to the workplace, the suspect prepared a delayed-timed device at his home in Saint Joseph that caused a fire to break out just at the same time that he was shooting at his companions.

Police and investigators at the scene of a workplace shooting in the San Jose Valley Transportation Authority light rail yard in San Jose, California, United States, on May 26, 2021.

What was the reason?

Police are still investigating the motives behind the shooting and the suspect’s ex-wife told local media that decades ago, Cassidy would have already threatened to kill people he worked with.

The FBI has been helping the Californian authorities with the investigation. The fire is also the subject of analysis by specialists.

What did Joe Biden say?

The president of United States, Joe Biden, ordered on Wednesday that the country’s flags fly at half mast in honor of the deceased. In a statement he regretted having to make this decision again “just a few weeks later”Of mass shootings in other parts of the country.

In addition, he sent his condolences to the families of the victims of the shooting and urged Congress to act on legislation to curb gun violence.