What we know about the San Jose shooting victims

THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AS WE HONOR THE VTA FAMILY MEMBERS WHO LOST THEIR LIVES IN YESTERDAY’S ATTACK. TODAY IS A DAY TO HONOR THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND THEIR FAMILIES. WE WANT TO SUPPORT ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES WHO ARE GRIEVING, AS WE ALL ARE. THERE IS MORE INFORMATION TO COME ABOUT THE INCIDENT, BUT TODAY IS ABOUT EMPLOYEES AND FAMILIES, PEOPLE. MANY HAVE REPORTED THE NAMES OF THE EMPLOYEES LOST. TO US AT VTA, THEY ARE FRIENDS. WE OUGHT TO HONOR THEIR MEMORY. ABDUL WORKED FOR VTA FOR 20 YEARS AS A SUBSTATION MAINTAINED HER. ADRIAN BALLEZA STARTED AS A BUZZ UP -- AS A BUS OPERATOR FROM A LATER BECOMING A MAINTENANCE WORKER. JOSE STARTED EMPLOYMENT IN 2012 AS A TRANSIT MECHANIC, YOU GET -- LATER BECOMING A SUBSTATION MAINTAINER. LARS KEPLER LANE, 63, STARTED HIS EMPLOYMENT WITH VTA IN 2001 AS AN ELECTION MECHANIC, BECOMING AN OVERHEAD LINE WORKER. MICHAEL JOSEPH RUDOMETKIN, AGE 40, STARTED HIS EMPLOYMENT WITH VTA IN 2013 AS A MECHANIC, LATER BECOMING AN ELECTRICAL MECHANIC AND A LINE WORKER. PAUL MCGEE A STARTED HIS EMPLOYMENT AS A BUS OPERATOR TRAINEE, LATER BECOMING TRANSPORTATION SUPERVISOR AND ULTIMATELY AN INSISTENT -- ASSISTANT SUPERINTENDENT. TAPTEJDEEP SINGH, AGE 36, STARTED EMPLOYEE -- EMPLOYMENT AS A BUS OPERATOR LATER BUT BECOMING A BUS AT -- A LIGHT RAIL OPERATOR. TIMOTHY ROMO STARTED WITH VTA OVER 20 YEARS AGO AS AN OVERHEAD LINE WORKER. WE LEARNED LATE LAST NIGHT THAT A NINTH EMPLOYEE DIED OF HIS INJURIES. ALEX FRECH, AGED 49. SUBSTATION MAINTAINER. I WOULD LIKE TO ASK FOR A MOMENT OF SILENCE FOR OUR FALLEN WORKERS. THANK YOU. LAST NIGHT AFTER THE IDENTITY OF OUR FALLEN EMPLOYEES WERE CONFIRMED, I SPOKE WITH FAMILY MEMBERS TO SHARE CONDOLENCES AND SORROW AND LET THEM KNOW THAT WE ARE HERE TO SUPPORT THEM IN WHATEVER WAY WE CAN. I HAVE SPOKEN TO THE FAMILIES OF ALL OF THE NINE FAMILIES. I AM NOT GOING IN TO DETAILS ABOUT MY CALLS, ALL OF THE FAMILIES ARE IN PAIN BUT WE ARE HERE TO HELP. WE WANT ALL OF OUR EMPLOYEES TO KNOW THAT WE ARE ALL GRIEVING TOGETHER AND WE WANT TO DO EVERYTHING WE POSSIBLY CAN TO SUPPORT EACH OTHER. IF TODAY OR IN THE COMING DAYS YOU NEED TO STOP, TALK WITH A COWORKER, TAKE SOME QUIET TIME, DO IT. WHATEVER YOUR EMOTIONS, THE PAIN, SORROW, ANGER, LOVE, THESE ARE ALL NUMBERS -- THESE ARE ALL NORMAL, BUT PLEASE REACH OUT IF YOU NEED HELP. TO PROCESS ALL THESE THINGS GOING ON IN YOUR HEART AND YOUR HEAD. I WANT TO THANK THE TRANSIT DANGER’S DISEASE -- TRANSIT AGENCIES WHO HAVE REACHED OUT TO OFFER SUPPORT AND HELP. I WANT TO THANK NONPROFITS AND OTHER GROUPS WHO HAVE REACHED OUT. IT IS AWESOME TO SEE THE CARING AND CONCERNED PEOPLE ARE SHOWING AT IT HELPS THE VTA FAMILY KNOW THAT WE ARE NOT ALONE. I HAVE ONE MORE THING, IN MY FAMILY A A WHILE AGO WE STARTED WRITING HAIKU’S TO SHOW DIFFERENT THINGS THAT ARE GOING ON. I WROTE THIS LAST NIGHT. OUR FRIENDS WILL BE MISSED. SERVING RIDERS, MAKES US SMILE.

What we know about the San Jose shooting victims

Updated: 1:58 PM EDT May 27, 2021

The shooting at a San Jose rail yard on Wednesday took place in two buildings and killed nine employees who had been bus and light rail operators, mechanics, linemen and an assistant superintendent over the course of their careers. Their ages ranged from 29 to 63. One had worked for the Valley Transportation Authority since 1999. The ninth victim who died was previously hospitalized in critical condition after the shooting. The Santa Clara County's medical examiner-coroner identified him late Wednesday as Alex Ward Fritch, 49. The others previously identified were Paul Delacruz Megia, 42; Taptejdeep Singh, 36; Adrian Balleza, 29; Jose Dejesus Hernandez, 35; Timothy Michael Romo, 49; Michael Joseph Rudometkin, 40; Abdolvahab Alaghmandan, 63; and Lars Kepler Lane, 63. Singh, a member of the Sikh community, had worked as a light rail train driver for eight or nine years and had a wife, two small children and many family members, according to his cousin, Bagga Singh. "We heard that he chose the people to shoot, but I don't know why they choose him because he has nothing to do with him," he said. San Jose City Councilman Raul Peralez said Rudometkin was a close friend. "There are no words to describe the heartache we are feeling right now, especially for his family," he wrote on Facebook on Wednesday. "Eight families are feeling this same sense of loss tonight and our entire community is mourning as well."

The shooting at a San Jose rail yard on Wednesday took place in two buildings and killed nine employees who had been bus and light rail operators, mechanics, linemen and an assistant superintendent over the course of their careers. Their ages ranged from 29 to 63. One had worked for the Valley Transportation Authority since 1999.

The ninth victim who died was previously hospitalized in critical condition after the shooting. The Santa Clara County's medical examiner-coroner identified him late Wednesday as Alex Ward Fritch, 49. The others previously identified were Paul Delacruz Megia, 42; Taptejdeep Singh, 36; Adrian Balleza, 29; Jose Dejesus Hernandez, 35; Timothy Michael Romo, 49; Michael Joseph Rudometkin, 40; Abdolvahab Alaghmandan, 63; and Lars Kepler Lane, 63.

Singh, a member of the Sikh community, had worked as a light rail train driver for eight or nine years and had a wife, two small children and many family members, according to his cousin, Bagga Singh.

"We heard that he chose the people to shoot, but I don't know why they choose him because he has nothing to do with him," he said.

San Jose City Councilman Raul Peralez said Rudometkin was a close friend.

"There are no words to describe the heartache we are feeling right now, especially for his family," he wrote on Facebook on Wednesday. "Eight families are feeling this same sense of loss tonight and our entire community is mourning as well."