She said he used to come home from work resentful and angry over what he perceived as unfair assignments.
“He could dwell on things,” she said. The two were married for about 10 years until a 2005 divorce filing, and she hadn’t been in touch with the suspect for about 13 years, Nelms said.
The death toll rose from eight after officials confirmed the death late Wednesday of 49-year-old Alex Ward Fritch, who had been hospitalized in critical condition after the attack.
It was the 15th mass killing in the U.S. this year, all shootings that claimed at least four lives each for a total of 87 deaths, according to a database compiled by The Associated Press, USA Today and Northeastern University.
An employee who gunned down nine people at a California rail yard and then killed himself as law enforcement rushed in had talked about killing people at work more than a decade ago, his ex-wife has said.
“I never believed him, and it never happened. Until now,” a tearful Cecilia Nelms told the Associated Press on Wednesday following the 6.30am attack at a light rail depot for the Valley Transportation Authority in Santa Clara, near San Jose.
“When our deputies went through the door, initially he was still firing rounds. When our deputy saw him, he took his life,” Santa Clara County Sheriff Laurie Smith told reporters.
Employee who killed 9 at California rail yard had talked of workplace attacks
It was the 15th mass killing in the nation this year that has resulted in a total of 86 deaths.
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An emergency responder stows a bomb squad robot following a shooting at a Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) rail yard on Wednesday in San Jose, Calif. [ NOAH BERGER | AP ]
Updated May 27
SAN JOSE, Calif. â An employee who gunned down nine people at a California rail yard and then killed himself as law enforcement rushed in had talked about killing people at work more than a decade ago, his ex-wife said.
Investigators offered no immediate word on a motive but the gunman's ex-wife said he used to come home from work resentful over what he perceived as unfair assignments.