Archbishop Paul S. Coakley Archbishop Paul Coakley said May 26, that the tragic shootings at a rail yard in San Jose, California, “reminds us once again that something fundamentally broken in our society and culture must be courageously examined and addressed”.
The shooting that left 9 people dead and multiple people injured took place at 6:48am at the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light rail yard in San Jose.
During the early morning work meeting, Sam James Cassidy, 57, a technician at the rail yard, started shooting at his colleagues and later took his own life. Authorities said late last Wednesday that a motive had not yet been determined, but said that the massacre was being identified as a workplace shooting.
“It is particularly tragic that in a city named in honour of St Joseph, who was such a loving guardian of the Holy Family, we are unable to protect our own fellow citizens from the ravages of gun violence,” Archbishop Coakley, chairman of the USCCB Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development said on Wednesday, added in a statement.
“As Americans we must understand why these horrific occurrences of violence continue to take place in our communities, and then unhesitatingly act to root out the causes of such crimes.
“Our conference has called for many years for rational yet effective forms of regulation of these dangerous weapons. We also urge increased mental health outreach and services to identify and treat potential areas of conflict before they become tragic occurrences,” he also said.