Samuel Cassidy, the San Jose mass shooter, was accused of raping his former girlfriend and forcing her to indulge in anal sex on multiple occasions. Cassidy killed eight people before turning the gun on himself during the shooting spree at Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) light rail yard on Wednesday.
Cassidy, an employee of the VTA, was working as a substation maintainer with an earning of over $114,000 in regular and overtime pay along with an additional $46,000 in benefits in 2019.
Cassidy Broke Up with Lover After She Refused Unnatural Sex
Cassidy's former wife, who divorced him in 2004, told SF Chronicle that he would often complain about his co-workers getting easier assignments at the VTA's maintenance yard. The ex-wife said was relieved after her divorce as Cassidy's 'temper had become explosive.'
The outlet further reported that in a sworn declaration filed in March 2009, Cassidy's ex-lover said that he had violent mood swings during which he raped and abused her. The affair, which lasted for a year, ended after the woman refused Cassidy's demand for having anal sex on Valentine's Day.
The victim, who was not named by the outlet, wrote in the court documents that Cassidy agreed to accompany her on a getaway only if she consented to his sexual desires.
Adding that the shooter allegedly suffered from 'bipolar disorder' and had "mood swings" as he drank heavily, the woman said, "He also played several mind games which he seems to enjoy."
Detailing multiple sexual assaults in the court documents, the victim said, "Several times during the relationship he became intoxicated, enraged and forced himself on me sexually." It was also revealed that Cassidy who tried to force anal intercourse on the victim on several occasions once threw her on a bed and forced her to have sex with him in September 2008.
Cassidy Had Set His Home on Fire Before Shootout
CBS Bay Area reported that Cassidy's home, which caught fire on the same day of shooting, was found laden with explosives, weapons and ammunition. The San Jose Fire Department said in a statement that the damage to the home was "heavy" and it was left uninhabitable.
Cassidy was described as a mean and untalkative person by his neighbor Doug Suh, whose CCTV spotted him leaving with a duffle bag at 5.40 am. Later, during a press conference, Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen, when asked about the weapon used in the shootout, said, "There were multiple guns, but not a ghost gun."
Refusing to name the shooter, Rosen said, "I'm not going to confirm that. I feel like I've seen it so many places that you have confirmed it. Part of why just confirm it is I, I don't want to bring more publicity to the person who did this by saying the person's name. Because I don't want to give more recognition to someone like this."
