Victims in San Jose mass shooting identified

Catherine Garcia, Night editor
·1 min read
A memorial for the victims of Wednesday's mass shooting in San Jose.
A memorial for the victims of Wednesday's mass shooting in San Jose. Philip Pacheco/Getty Images

Authorities have identified the eight people killed on Wednesday morning during a mass shooting at a light-rail yard in San Jose, California.

The victims are Paul Delacruz Megia, 42; Taptejdeep Singh, 36; Adrian Balleza, 29; Jose Dejesus Hernandez III, 35; Timothy Michael Romo, 49; Michael Joseph Rudometkin, 40; Abdolvahab Alaghmandan, 63; and Lars Kepler Lane, 63. Several people were injured, and one remains in critical condition at a local hospital.

"Our hearts are broken," San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo said. "These are members of the community. These are members of our families."

Law enforcement officials told the Los Angeles Times that the gunman, a maintenance worker at the Valley Transportation Authority, set his San Jose house on fire, and then drove to the VTA facility. There was a union meeting going on when he arrived, the Times reports, and he opened fire, shooting at people in two different buildings. The gunman shot almost everyone who was working the morning shift, the officials told the Times, including people he worked with for years.

Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department Deputy Russell Davis told reporters police did not exchange gunfire with the suspect, and it appears he died by a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

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