A Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) employee killed at least eight people on Wednesday (May 26th) at the public transportation company’s site in San Jose, Calif., Police said, the latest example of the gun violence in the United States.
Russell Davis, of the Santa Clara County Police Department, has warned the death toll could rise. The alleged shooter, who is dead, was an employee of the targeted public transportation company, the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA), said Davis. “I know for sure that when the suspect learned that the police were there, he committed suicide”, Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith said at a press conference.
“We have received information indicating that explosive devices are inside the building”Russell Davis said, explaining that a team of deminers was on hand to search the scene and ensure that “Public safety is assured”.
VTA employees are listed “Among the victims”, according to the police, who did not specify their number. The site was evacuated, the company said on Twitter, and the “Injury severity” is being evaluated. In front of the maintenance center were dozens of police and rescue vehicles, as well as FBI agents.
Series of shootings
“Our thoughts are with the victims and their families”, reacted Karine Jean-Pierre, a spokesperson for the White House. “What is clear, as the president said, is that we are suffering from an epidemic of gun violence in this country. “It is a very dark time for our city and its people, but we have seen how people can stick together in these very difficult times”, said the mayor of San José, Sam Liccardo. “It’s a horrible tragedy that has happened”, lamented Glenn Hendricks, chairman of the board of directors of the company.
A series of shootings have brought mourning to the United States in recent months, including at a FedEx facility in Indianapolis, an office building in California, a supermarket in Boulder (Colorado) and several massage parlors in Atlanta.
Last weekend, twelve people were shot and killed and around 50 injured across the country, in an upsurge in gun violence recently described as“Epidemic” by Joe Biden. The US president unveiled measures to limit the proliferation of firearms in the United States in early April. Gun violence is “An international disgrace”, he lambasted.
