By Steve Neavling
The man who killed nine people in a shooting in San Jose, Calif., told U.S. Customs officers in 2016 that he hated his workplace, according to a Homeland Security memo obtained by The Wall Street Journal.
Customs officers detained Samuel James Cassidy, 57, after a trip to the Philippines, the memo says.
Cassidy possessed “books about terrorism and fear and manifestos…as well as a black memo book filled with lots of notes about how he hates the VTA,” the memo says, referring to the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, where Cassidy previously worked.
“When asked if he had problems with anybody at work, he stated ‘no,’” according to the memo.
The DHS distributed the memo internally after the shooting Wednesday.
It’s not clear how long Cassidy was in custody.
Cassidy opened fire at a union meeting at a VTA light-rail yard in downtown San Jose. He later died in an apparent suicide.
Homeland Security, which oversees U.S. Customs and Protection, wouldn’t comment on the memo because the shooting is still under investigation.
Police still have not determined a motive.
His ex-wife said Cassidy was often angry about his job and even talked about killing co-workers more than a decade ago.
