The murder of 9 people at a train station in California: what is known about the shooter

The man, who shot dead nine people at the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) train station on Wednesday, May 26, was identified as 57-year-old Samuel Cassidy, a San Jose resident and VTA employee. Writes about it CBS Local.

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Cassidy died instantly. Santa Clara County Sheriff's Deputy Russell said he believed Cassidy committed suicide with a self-inflicted gunshot wound because the police did not fire back.

According to the Transparent California payroll and pension database, Cassidy has worked for the Valley Transportation Authority since at least 2012, first as a mechanic (2012-2014) and then as a substation maintenance person.

According to public figures, in 2019, Cassidy earned more than $ 114 in regular and overtime pay, as well as an additional $ 000 in benefits.

He was listed as the owner of a South San Jose home that caught fire around the same time the VTA shooting occurred. After putting out the fire, police and federal agents reportedly found explosives and gasoline in the house, and people living within one block of the house were evacuated.

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The San Jose fire department said the home had suffered "serious" damage and is now uninhabitable.

Cecelia Nelms was married to Sam Cassidy for about ten years. She said Cassidy had anger issues, but he never physically harmed her. “I’m in shock, I’m very confused,” she said.

Nelms recalled how uncomfortable he was around other people. “He was not a very friendly person, he kept everything to himself,” the woman noted.

Nelms said there were times when Cassidy talked about harming colleagues, but she never imagined it would happen.

Cassidy's ex-wife claimed that he coerced her into intercourse and showed signs of bipolar disorder, with mood swings that were made worse by alcohol.

“They met at a match. Then they dated for two months, and he proposed to her, but she refused him. After that, he became a completely different person,” said the ex-girlfriend’s lawyer, Robert Cummings.

Cassidy's parents declined to comment, but their neighbor was stunned to hear that Cassidy was shooting people.

Doug Soo, a neighbor of Cassidy who has lived across the street for the past two decades, called him "mean" and taciturn. The man said that the couple tried to avoid communication with him.

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The neighbor said that Cassidy lived alone and left for work at 05:00 every day.

Sukh provided a video from a security camera in which a man (presumably Cassidy) leaves the house at about 05:40 with a duffel bag.

At a press conference, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen declined to give Cassidy's name.

“I’m not going to confirm it,” he responded when reporters asked him to confirm the name of the perpetrator.

When asked about the murder weapons, he said: "There were several pistols."

According to San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Cassidy was seen working at the station before the shooting. He suggested that apparently the victims knew the shooter well.

The motives for the shooting were not reported.

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