Who Is Samuel Cassidy, Gunman In San Jose Mass Shooting At VTA Rail Yard?

SAN JOSE (CBS SF) — The man who shot and killed nine people at a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light rail yard Wednesday was identified as Samuel Cassidy, 57, a San Jose resident and VTA employee.

Cassidy died at the scene of the mass shooting at the Guadalupe maintenance yard at 101 W. Younger Ave. Santa Clara County Sheriff Deputy Russell said it’s believed Cassidy took his own life with a self-inflicted gunshot wound since responding officers did not exchange gunfire with him.

READ MORE: San Jose Shooting: Deputies, Police Confronted Gunman To End Rampage; 'We May Have Some Heroes With VTA'

Cassidy had worked for Valley Transportation Authority since at least 2012, according to the public payroll and pension database Transparent California, first as a mechanic from 2012 to 2014, then as someone who maintained substations.

Cassidy earned more than $114,000 in regular and overtime pay along with an additional $46,000 in benefits in 2019, according to public records.

UPDATE: Coroner Identifies 9 People Killed At VTA Light Rail Yard

He was listed as the owner of a home on the 1100 block of Angmar Ct. in the Ramblewood neighborhood of South San Jose, which caught fire around the same time as the VTA shooting. After the fire was extinguished, police and federal agents reportedly found explosives and gasoline at the home and people living in a one-block radius around the home were evacuated as bomb squad technicians” went through the home.

The San Jose Fire Department said in a statement the damage to the home was “heavy” and that the home was left uninhabitable.

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

Nelms recalled how uncomfortable he was around other people. “Not a very friendly person, kept things to himself,” said Nelms.

Nelms said there were instances where Cassidy would talk about harming coworkers but never imagined it would happen.

An ex-girlfriend of Cassidy alleged in court documents he forced sexual acts on her and showed signs of being bipolar, with mood swings that worsened with alcohol. After his divorce, the ex-girlfriend alleges they had a volatile off and on relationship for about a year, with Cassidy actually filing a restraining order.

The ex-girlfriend’s attorney Robert Cummings spoke on his clients behalf. “They met on Match. They dated for two months and he proposed but she turned him down. After that he became a very different person,” Cummings said.

READ MORE: UPDATE: 9th Victim Dies In Mass Shooting At VTA Light Rail Yard In San Jose; Family And Friends Pay Tribute

KPIX 5 stopped by his Cassidy’s parents’ house in Cupertino. They refused to comment but their neighbor was absolutely stunned to hear Cassidy was the shooter.

“Wait, wait, wait, you say he’s the killer?” said neighbor Jenny Wu. “He’s responsible? Really?”

Doug Suh, a neighbor of Cassidy’s who has lived across the street for the past two decades, described him as “mean” and untalkative, saying he and his wife tried to avoid interactions with him.

The neighbor said Cassidy lived by himself and would head to work at 5 a.m. every day.

Suh added that Cassidy came out of his house once when Suh had backed into Cassidy’s driveway to make a turn, telling Suh to get off his property.

Suh provided KPIX with surveillance video that showed a man — presumably Cassidy — leaving the home at around 5:40 a.m. Thursday morning with a duffel bag.

According to Suh, a short time later, he looked outside and saw a huge plume of smoke rising from Cassidy’s home.

At an afternoon press conference, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen refused to utter Cassidy’s name.

“I’m not going to confirm that,” he responded when reporters asked him to confirm the gunman’s name. “I feel like I’ve seen it so many places that you have confirmed it. Part of why just confirm it is I, I don’t want to bring more publicity to the person who did this by saying the person’s name. Because I don’t want to give more recognition to someone like this.”

He said when asked about the murder weapons — “There were multiple guns, but not a ghost gun.”

According to San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, Cassidy was seen working at the light rail yard before the shooting, and said it was clear the victims knew the shooter well.

MORE NEWS: Norteño Gang Member Gabriel Otero Receives Lengthy 3rd Strike Sentence For Armed Robbery

There was no word on a motive in the shooting.