San Jose shooting: Employees among ‘multiple casualties,’ sheriff says

Gunfire erupted at a Northern California rail yard on Wednesday, leading to “multiple fatalities” of public transit workers before the suspected shooter died, authorities said.© Provided by NBC News

Calls of shots fired came about 6:34 a.m. PT near 100 W. Younger Ave. in downtown San Jose, drawing a large law enforcement response, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office said.https://www.dianomi.com/smartads.epl?id=3533

“There are multiple injuries and multiple fatalities in this case,” sheriff’s Deputy Russell Davis told reporters at the scene. “The suspect is confirmed deceased.”

Davis did not say how the shooter died or specify how many were injured and killed.

Citing an “active shooter,” deputies told the public at 7:12 a.m. PT to steer clear of the neighborhood, about 50 miles south of downtown San Francisco.

Less than an hour later, the sheriff’s office reported the alleged shooter was down. The dead suspect is believed to be the only shooter involved, according to officials.

“Public safety is assured at this point,” Davis said.

The Younger Avenue address is a light rail yard of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), which provides rail, bus and various shuttle services to the booming Bay Area suburb and technology hub.

Davis called the shooting scene a VTA “control center” which is a “hub that stores multiple VTA trains and a maintenance yard as well.”

The shooting happened “on the VTA light rail yard but it did not happen in the operations control center,” VTA Board Chairman Glenn Hendricks said.

“This is a horrific day for our city and it is a tragic day for the VTA family and our heart pains for the families and the co-workers because we know so many are feeling deeply this loss of their loved ones and their fiends,” San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said.

Hendricks added he was proud of transit workers who stayed on the job and kept moving commuters even in the face of Wednesday’s mass shooting.

“A horrible tragedy has happened today,” Hendricks said. “I could not be more proud of the VTA organization. As I drove here, I saw VTA buses out on the road.”

The area is also in the center of regional law enforcement operations, as the rail yard is within a half-mile of San Jose Police Department, Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney headquarters.