Molotov cocktails, 12 firearms, 25,000 rounds of ammo found at VTA shooting suspect's home

ByLaura Anthony, Dustin Dorsey, Alix Martichoux, Dan Noyes, and Amanda del Castillo KGO logo

Saturday, May 29, 2021

SJ shooting: 12 firearms, 25K rounds found at suspect's home

Molotov cocktails, guns and at least 25,000 rounds of ammo were found at the home of Sam Cassidy, the suspect in the San Jose VTA shooting.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (KGO) -- A search of the VTA shooting suspect's home has turned up multiple gasoline cans, 17 Molotov cocktails, twelve firearms and about 25,000 rounds of ammo, according to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department and the FBI.

Investigators have been at the suspect's home on Angmar Court since Wednesday searching every corner of the house. They found Molotov cocktails inside Friday morning. Multiple sources told ABC News the Molotov cocktails were completed, but did not explode. Authorities aren't sure why he had the volatile concoctions, but it could have been an attempt to accelerate the fire at his home.

PHOTOS: Molotov cocktails, weapons found at VTA attack suspect's home

Twelve firearms and 22,000 rounds of ammo were found at the VTA shooting suspect's home in San Jose, Calif.

Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office

The suspect, 57-year-old VTA employee Sam Cassidy, set fire to his home on Angmar Court before going to the light rail yard and control center where he shot and killed nine people.

Deputies say Cassidy set the fire by putting ammunition inside a pot on the stove, then placing additional accelerants around the stove. The ammunition heating on the stove eventually set the fire.

A locker at the rail yard believed to be the shooter's also contained "materials for bombs, detonator cords, the precursors to an explosive," said Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith.

"It is clear that this was a planned event and the suspect was prepared to use his firearms to take as many lives as he possibly could had Sheriff's Deputies not made entry to stop his rampage," the department said Friday.

Another suspicious device found at his home Friday turned out to be batteries and wires, San Jose officials said.

VIDEO: Suspicious device detonated at VTA shooting suspect's home

A suspicious device found at the suspect's home Friday turned out to be batteries and wires, San Jose officials said.

The house on Angmar Court was boarded up and cleared Friday afternoon, allowing neighbors to return to their homes.

Hundreds of people showed up outside San Jose City Hall Thursday night to remember the nine victims of Wednesday's mass shooting.

"My nephew and my niece, they're not gonna have a father. They're 3 and 1," said Tagtejdeep Singh's younger brother, Carmen. "They're going to ask where their father is. Nobody can bring them back, nor can I, nor can anyone else."

"My dad was the smartest and funniest man I know," said Timothy Romo's daughter, Audrey.

"He was my hero and my idol, everything I ever wanted to be as a man and he led by example in everything he did," said Romo's son, Scott.

On Thursday, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office released new surveillance video showing the suspect during his shooting rampage. The video shows him walking away from one building where he shot multiple coworkers and towards another area where he would kill more victims, according to authorities.

The video shows the gunman walking away from a building where he shot multiple people and towards another area where he would kill more victims.

Law enforcement agencies announced the suspect had a long history of dissatisfaction with his employer.

He was once stopped by Customs and Border Protection while returning from the Philippines in 2016, sources tell ABC News. He was stopped and searched because he was carrying books about terrorism and manifestos, according to three sources familiar with the investigation. CBP found he was also carrying a notebook that detailed hatred of his workplace, the Valley Transportation Authority.

Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen confirmed Friday that CBP and Homeland Security did not contact the county or the VTA at the time. Rosen added no complaints ever came into law enforcement about his weapons stockpile or his temper.

The man appears to have targeted some of his victims, according to the Santa Clara Sheriff's Department.

"We can say that the suspect has been a highly disgruntled VTA employee for many years, which may have contributed to why he targeted VTA employees," the sheriff's department said in a statement.

EXCLUSIVE: San Jose shooting widow remembers 'soulmate' of 22 years

The widow of San Jose shooting victim Lars Lane didn't give up hope that her husband of 22 years survived the deadly attack at the Valley Transit Authority railyard, until the very last second when she received the tragic news.

A witness who survived the shooting told ABC7 News that from his vantage point, it looked like the gunman didn't fire indiscriminately. Rather, he let some people live and chose to kill others.

The shooter had talked about killing people at work more than a decade ago, his ex-wife said.

"I never believed him, and it never happened. Until now," a tearful Cecilia Nelms told The Associated Press.

Editor's note: The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Department originally reported 22,000 rounds of ammunition were found at the suspect's home. They later said the number was actually 25,000 and this story has been updated to reflect that change.

Take a look at the latest stories and videos about the mass shooting at the VTA rail yard in San Jose.

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