Eight killed by employee in California rail yard mass shooting

1 / 2
Investigators work the scene of a mass shooting at the Valley Transportation Authority light-rail yard on May 26, 2021 in San Jose, California. (Philip Pacheco/Getty Images/AFP)
Short Url
Updated 27 May 2021
Follow

Eight killed by employee in California rail yard mass shooting

  • US President Joe Biden called the incident a “horrific tragedy” and ordered flags to be flown at half-staff

SAN JOSE, US: A public transit worker shot dead eight people at a California rail yard Wednesday before turning his gun on himself as police arrived, officials said, in the latest mass shooting to hit the United States.
Multiple victims were also wounded in the attack at the train maintenance compound in San Jose, just south of San Francisco, which has once again shone a spotlight on the country’s raging gun control debate.
“What the hell is wrong with us, and when are we going to come to grips with this?” said California Governor Gavin Newsom at a press conference, where he praised the swift response of law enforcement.
Law enforcement officers had rushed to investigate multiple early morning 911 calls reporting gunshots, and entered the compound during an “active shooting,” said Russell Davis, a Santa Clara County Sheriff’s deputy.
They did not exchange gunfire with the shooter, who died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
“I know for sure that when the suspect knew that law enforcement was there he took his own life,” said Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith. “Our deputies were right there at that time.”
Bomb squads were deployed after dogs detected “some type of explosives material at the crime scene,” Davis said.
US President Joe Biden called the incident a “horrific tragedy” and ordered flags to be flown at half-staff, saying in a statement: “There are at least eight families who will never be whole again.”
“Once again, I urge Congress to take immediate action and heed the call of the American people, including the vast majority of gun owners, to help end this epidemic of gun violence in America.
“Every life that is taken by a bullet pierces the soul of our nation. We can, and we must, do more.”

Rape, house fire

The suspect — identified by multiple media outlets as Samuel Cassidy — was an employee of the Valley Transportation Authority, which provides rail and bus services for San Jose, a Silicon Valley tech hub of almost a million people.
Victims including VTA employees were found shot in two different buildings on the site. The authority’s chairman Glenn Hendricks called the shooting a “horrible tragedy.”
Dozens of police cars and fire engines lining the streets near the rail yard were joined at the scene by FBI officials. Special agent Craig Fair warned the “fairly sizable crime scene” would take a significant amount of time to process.
Nearby, anxious families of employees waited at a county building for word about the safety their relatives.
“This is a very dark moment for our city and for our community,” said San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo.
Many of those killed or wounded were essential workers who had “helped us get through this horrific pandemic” by keeping public transport operating, he added.
San Jose police were also investigating a house fire believed to be linked to the shooting. According to multiple US media reports, the blaze began at the suspect’s home shortly before the attack.
The shooter’s ex-wife Cecilia Nelms told the Bay Area News Group that Cassidy had “often spoke angrily about his co-workers and bosses, and at times directed his anger at her.”
An ex-girlfriend additionally accused him of raping and abusing her, often during violent “mood swings,” according to court records cited by the San Francisco Chronicle.
Local officials said the shooting — which was initially reported before 7 a.m. local time (1400 GMT) — had taken place at an employee meeting, with at least 80 staff on site at the time.
A vigil in honor of the victims has been scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. local time at San Jose’s City Hall Plaza, according to Liccardo.

Wild, Wild West

The United States has a long and painful history of deadly gun violence, in the form of a steady daily toll of shootings as well as high-profile mass killings that have targeted schools, work places and shopping centers.
Homicides, mostly gun-driven, have surged in the US over the past year.
Mass shootings have occurred in recent months at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, an office building in California, a grocery store in Colorado and at several spas in Atlanta.
In August 2019, another mass shooting in the Bay Area left two children and a 25-year-old man dead at a garlic festival in Gilroy, around 30 miles (50 kilometers) south of San Jose.
Biden last month branded US gun violence an “epidemic” and an “international embarrassment.”
There were more than 43,000 gun-related deaths in the United States last year, including suicides, according to the Gun Violence Archive.


Indonesian researchers unearth 500,000-year-old elephant fossils in Java

Updated 6 sec ago
Follow

Indonesian researchers unearth 500,000-year-old elephant fossils in Java

  • Researchers say found elephant fossils may be almost complete 
  • Central Java is also location of archaeological site Sangiran, where ‘Java Man’ was found

Jakarta: Indonesian researchers have discovered fossils of a prehistoric elephant in Central Java, which they estimate are around 500,000 years old. 

The fossils were found in Patiayam, an archaeological site and mountainous area situated on the border of the Kudus and Pati regencies in Central Java, where, throughout the years, ancient animal fossils have been found.

In 2024, a collaborative team organized by the Center for Prehistory and Austronesian Studies, the Dharma Bakti Lestari Foundation and the National Research and Innovation Agency, known locally as BRIN, launched a research project at the site to explore fossil possibilities. 

Though the initial discovery was made then, researchers postponed the project until this year and expanded the site of excavation, which is still ongoing. 

“Based on the geological formation of the site where it was found, we estimate that the fossils are at least 500,000 years old, give or take. We have yet to conduct a direct dating of the fossils, so this is based on a relative dating of the soil layer,” Mohammad Ruly Fauzi, researcher at CPAS and BRIN, told Arab News. 

“We have been able to identify that these belong to an elephas type, but not the specific species … What’s clear is that this is a very big elephant, nothing like elephants today …. It’s prehistoric, not early historic period.”

He said the excavation has made about 50 percent progress and that the elements found so far make up the front part of an elephant. 

“It’s interesting because this is shaping up to be an almost complete fossil … They are all situated pretty closely.” 

Once the excavation is completed, the fossils will be preserved as part of a collection at the Patiayam Archaeological Museum. The discovery might help Patiayam gain recognition as a cultural heritage site, Fauzi added. 

“Every site has its own unique qualities, but Patiayam site is particularly interesting and very deserving to gain status as a national cultural heritage site in our opinion … This research can help serve as a foundation for officials to decide,” he said. 

Central Java, where Patiayam is located, is also home to the Sangiran Early Man Site, a UNESCO World Heritage site renowned for its significant collection of Homo erectus fossils, dating from 1.1 million to 800,000 years ago, including the “Java Man.” 


Ukraine has cleared 20 percent of mined land, PM says

Updated 16 sec ago
Follow

Ukraine has cleared 20 percent of mined land, PM says

KYIV: Ukraine has intensified efforts to clear land mines and has cut the affected area to around 137,000 square km (53,000 square miles), a 20 percent reduction from the end of 2022, Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal said on Tuesday.
Most of the remaining mined areas are farmland, Shmyhal added.
Ukraine is a global major grain grower but it reduced harvests sharply after Russia’s 2022 invasion left large areas occupied and mined.
Shmyhal said about 9,000 people from 112 specialized companies are now involved in mine clearance.
Military analysts say Ukraine needs at least 10 years to demine all territories.

India defense minister heads to China summit

Updated 37 min 50 sec ago
Follow

India defense minister heads to China summit

  • Rajnath Singh will join fellow regional defense ministers in China’s Qingdao city for SCO summit starting Wednesday 
  • He will call for joint, consistent efforts to eliminate “terrorism” and extremism in the region, says Indian defense ministry 

NEW DELHI: Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will travel to China this week for talks with his regional counterparts, New Delhi said Tuesday.

Ties between the world’s two most populous nations have improved in recent months, after hitting a low in 2020 over a deadly clash between their troops on the Himalayan border.

Singh will join fellow defense ministers in the eastern city of Qingdao for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit starting Wednesday.

He will “outline India’s vision toward achieving greater international peace & security, call for joint & consistent efforts to eliminate terrorism & extremism in the region,” a defense ministry statement said.

Singh will also hold bilateral meetings with his counterparts from China and Russia, which are alliance members alongside Pakistan, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Belarus.

Ahead of the two-day SCO meeting, India’s National Security Adviser Ajit Doval held talks in Beijing with Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi.

Doval “underscored the need to promote the overall development of the India-China bilateral relations,” New Delhi said Monday.

Wang said relations have “seen some positive developments” since the two countries’ leaders met last year, China’s foreign ministry said.

Beijing has granted permission to Indian pilgrims wishing to trek to Mount Kailash in Tibet, a site holy to Hindus and Buddhists, for the first time since the deadly 2020 clash.

The rival countries have also agreed to expedite resuming direct flights.


France orders Tesla to end ‘deceptive commercial practices’

Updated 42 min 21 sec ago
Follow

France orders Tesla to end ‘deceptive commercial practices’

PARIS: French anti-fraud authorities said on Tuesday they have ordered US electric car giant Tesla’s local subsidiary to stop “deceptive commercial practices” after an investigation found several violations harmful to consumers and contrary to law.
The fraud prevention and consumer protection agency (DGCCRF) said its agents investigated Tesla’s French subsidiary between 2023 and 2024 after reports were filed on a consumer complaint platform.
The probe revealed “deceptive commercial practices regarding the fully autonomous driving capabilities of Tesla vehicles, the availability of certain options and vehicle trade-in offers,” it said.
The agency also cited delays in refunding canceled orders, a lack of information on the location of deliveries and incomplete sales contracts, among other violations.
Tesla was given four months to comply with regulations.
It faces a daily fine of 50,000 euros ($58,000) if it fails to stop deceptive commercial practices over the fully autonomous driving option of certain Tesla models.
Tesla did not immediately respond to an AFP request for comment.
Tesla sales have tanked in Europe in recent months owing to an aging fleet of cars, rising competition and consumer distaste for Elon Musk’s role in US President Donald Trump’s administration.


Japan conducts its first missile test on its own territory

Updated 19 min 54 sec ago
Follow

Japan conducts its first missile test on its own territory

  • The test was conducted as Japan accelerates its military buildup to acquire strike-back capabilities as a deterrence to China

TOKYO: Japan’s army announced Tuesday that it conducted a missile test for the first time on Japanese territory.
The test-firing of the Type-88 surface-to-ship short range missile was conducted Tuesday at the Shizunai Anti-Air Firing Range on Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido.
The exercise by the Ground Self-Defense Force’s 1st Artillery Brigade was joined by about 300 soldiers who fired at an unmanned boat about 40 kilometers (24 miles) off the southern coast of Hokkaido, officials said.
Officials were still examining the results of the test, they said.
The test was conducted as Japan accelerates its military buildup to acquire strike-back capabilities as a deterrence to China.
Japan plans to deploy long-range cruise missiles, including Tomahauks, beginning later this year.
Japan has previously conducted missile tests overseas, including in the territories of its defense partners such as the United States and Australia.