Officials on San Jose Shooting: 'This Was a Planned Event'

Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office says guns, 22K rounds of ammo found at suspect's home
By Jenn Gidman,  Newser Staff
Posted May 29, 2021 8:00 AM CDT
Officials: San Jose Suspect Had 22K Rounds of Ammo at Home
This undated photo shows approximately 22,000 rounds of ammunition found at the residence of Samuel Cassidy, the suspect in the Wednesday shooting at a rail station in San Jose, Calif.   (Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office via AP)

Authorities still haven't pinned down a motive for why Samuel Cassidy shot up a rail yard in San Jose, Calif., on Wednesday, killing nine, but after a search of his residence, they say it's evident the 57-year-old suspect, who also took his own life during the shooting, had made preparations. Per a Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office release, a search warrant was obtained for Cassidy's home, which officials believe he'd set on fire before the shooting, and local police, the FBI, and ATF officials made quite a find. Among the items they say they discovered in Cassidy's residence: 22,000 rounds of "various types of ammunition," multiple cans filled with gas, a dozen guns, and what they believe were Molotov cocktails. "Based on current evidence ... it is clear that this was a planned event and the suspect was prepared to use his firearms to take as many lives as he possibly could had Sheriff's Deputies not made entry to stop his rampage," the statement notes, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

Per Deputy Cian Jackson, authorities believe Cassidy tried to destroy his home by cramming ammo into a pot on the stove, placing accelerants around the pot, then turning on the stove, reports CNN. The residence sustained heavy damage, but it has been deemed safe and doesn't pose a threat to neighbors, a San Jose Fire Department spokesperson notes. The sheriff's office says it's thought that Cassidy, whom co-workers have described as being a "disgruntled" colleague, worked alone. Although rumors were flying that Cassidy had been set to have a disciplinary meeting the morning of the shooting, Valley Transportation Authority officials and a transit union leader say that wasn't the case, per CBS San Francisco. Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security confirmed Thursday that Cassidy had been found to have books on terrorism and writings saying he hated the VTA when he was stopped by US Customs agents in 2016, per the Wall Street Journal. (More San Jose stories.)

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