Multiple fatalities after shooting at public transit rail yard in San Jose, California

A gunman opened fire at a public transit rail yard in San Jose, California, Wednesday morning, causing multiple casualties and fatalities, Deputy Russell Davis of the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office said.

The male suspect is dead, he said. Employees of the Valley Transportation Authority were among the victims, and the extent of their injuries was not immediately clear, Davis said.

Authorities received 911 calls at about 6:34 a.m. PT saying there were shots fired near a VTA control center, a hub that stores multiple light rail trains and a maintenance yard, Davis said. Multiple law enforcement agencies and Fire Department personnel responded to the incident using their “active shooter protocol,” Davis said.

VTA Board Chairperson Glenn Hendricks said the shooting occurred in the rail yard — not the operations control center — at a time when light rail was starting up for the day. The yard is where the VTA vehicles are maintained and dispatched.

“A horrible tragedy has happened today, and our thoughts and love goes out to the VTA family, the organization and what they’ve had to go through,” Hendricks said.

Light rail service will be suspended for the day as of noon, the VTA said, as the crime scene investigation has limited its ability to provide service.

The VTA is a public transit service that operates bus and light rail services in the Santa Clara Valley and employs about 2,000 workers.

Overhead video of the VTA rail yard from CNN affiliate KGO shows a large law enforcement presence on the scene as well as several ambulances. The first responders on the scene did not appear to be acting urgently as of 8 a.m. PT.

San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo, who also serves on the VTA board, referred to the shooting as a very dark moment.

“This is a horrific day for our city, it’s a tragic day for our VTA family,” he said. “We know that so many are feeling deeply this loss of their loved ones and their friends.”

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) responded to the scene, and California Gov. Gavin Newsom said he was monitoring the situation.