93-3-WMR Audio on Demand presents the Preston and Steve show podcast.

And now, Preston and Steve's news updates with Kathy Romano.

And today is Thursday, May 27.

Good morning, Kathy.

Good morning in the news this morning.

An employee opened fire Wednesday at a California rail yard killing nine people before taking his own life,

as law enforcement rushed in, authority said, marking the latest attack in a year that has seen a sharp increase in mass killings as the nation emerges from coronavirus restrictions.

The shooting took place around 6.30 a.m. and two buildings at the light rail facility for the Valley Transportation Authority,

which provides buses, light rail and other transit services throughout Santa Clara County, the most

populated county in the San Francisco Bay Area. When the deputies went through the door, the shooter

was still firing rounds. He then took his own life when he saw the authorities. The victims,

many of them longtime employees of the transit agency, were identified by the Santa Clara County

coroner's office Wednesday night and range in age from 35 to 63 years old. Their jobs included

bus and light rail operators, mechanics, linemen, and assistant superintendent. The attacker

was identified as 57-year-old Sam Cassidy, according to two

law enforcement officials. Investigators offered no immediate word on a possible motive. His ex-wife,

however, Cecilia Nelms, told the Associated Press that Cassidy had a bad temper and would tell her

that he wanted to kill people at work, but I never believed him and it never happened until now, she said. Nelms, teary-eyed and shaken by the news, said her ex-husband would come home, wound up and angry about things that happened at work. As he talked about it, he would get more mad, she said he could dwell on things. When Cassidy lost his temper, Nelms said that there were times that she was scared. She said that he was someone who could physically hurt others. I was reading like a neighbor quoted and a couple of other people who knew this guy. And, you know, sometimes it's like, wow, we had no idea. This one is like, yeah. We had an idea. Well, not that he would do that. Right. Certainly weren't surprised when they heard that it was him. So, you know, it's funny. We talk at this show that I watch about the, you know, neighbor nightmares. Yeah. This scenario. Like over, it just, you know, like it got obviously to a nuclear level with this guy, but the same sort of, at least what we're hearing now and you can't, you know, you just, stuff is sort of, you know, trickling in, but that's the kind of mindset. And a lot of people are complaining, they get laid off or they have an issue with work and that just controls everything and manifests in how they treat their neighbors and how they approach life in general. It just overrides everything. And I saw right before I walked in here, they think he may have set his house on fire before he went.

And there was also a report yesterday that they might have placed bombs around the facility.

Remember they were investigating that as well?

Terrible.

Yeah, reading more, he would get violent when he was drunk.

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