LATEST May 27, 11 a.m. During a Thursday morning press conference held by the Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority, themes of family, community and solidarity consistently popped up.The VTA is offering extended grief counseling for all employees and their families. Two separate funds have been set up by Working Partnerships USA and the ATU (Amalgamated Transit Union) Disaster Relief Fund. All proceeds will go to their families, said Santa Clara County Supervisor Cindy Chavez. A vigil is planned for 6 p.m. at San Jose City Hall."We are all grieving together and we want to do everything we possibly can to support each other," said Glenn Hendricks, the VTA chairman who has emerged as a leader for employees and the community.Naunihal Singh, a VTA transportation superintendent, told personal stories of working with three of those killed, whom he supervised. “Words are not enough to justify the pain we are all going through,” he said, talking about the graciousness of Paul Megia and selflessness of Taptej Singh, two of those killed in yesterday's shooting.“It shows the character of these guys, how they tried to help others while going through a tragic situation,” Singh added. “I’m going through a lot of confused emotions, I’m angry, I’m sad, I’m lost for words.”A VTA maintenance manager, George Sandoval, spoke about why exactly familial bonds are forged among VTA employees."Many of these folks worked here for 20, 30 years, and we do become a family," he said. "When you work in a small group … there’s a bond that occurs."But in addition to monetary support and presence at the vigil, San Jose City Councilmember Dev Davis encouraged kindness and compassion among VTA riders in the coming weeks.“Please remember to demonstrate kindness and compassion to the men and women who keep it running … as they deal with their own pain,” she said. “Let us ensure that they do not have to suffer alone.”Hendricks concluded his words with a haiku: “Our friends will be missed/Serving riders makes us smile/Nine will inspire us.”May 27, 6:30 a.m. The death toll of the mass shooting at the Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority has risen to ten, after a victim hospitalized in critical condition after the shooting was pronounced dead late Wednesday.He has been identified as Alex Fritch, 49, and is among the victims, many of whom were VTA workers, identified by the county coroner. The other victims were identified Wednesday as Paul Delacruz Megia, 42; Taptejdeep Singh, 36; Adrian Balleza, 29; Jose Dejesus Hernandez, 35; Timothy Michael Romo, 49; Michael Joseph Rudometkin, 40; Abdolvahab Alaghmandan, 63, and Lars Kepler Lane, 63. The gunman, Samuel J. Cassidy, also died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. There were no other injuries.Laurie Smith, the Santa Clara County Sheriff, told the Today Show and other media outlets that the suspected gunman, Samuel Cassidy, possessed two semi-automatic handguns with 11 magazines and stored explosive materials in his locker.The VTA is shutting down rail service until further notice, and will be replaced with bus bridges.May 26, 2:15 p.m. At least eight people, all employees, are dead following a shooting in downtown San Jose at the Santa Clara Valley Transit Authority (VTA) rail yard, officials said Wednesday. The shooter died from a self-inflicted gun wound, the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office confirmed.Multiple news outlets have identified the alleged shooter as Samuel J. Cassidy, a 57-year-old "substation maintainer" for the VTA. Officials have not disclosed his identity but confirmed the shooter was a VTA employee. Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office spokesman Deputy Russell Davis said during an afternoon press conference that deputies did not exchange gunfire with the shooter.The Department of Homeland Security, which first told multiple Bay Area outlets that at least 7 were deceased, declined to comment to SFGATE.An investigation is still underway, led by the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office, at the rail yard at 101 W. Younger Ave. The building, a storage hub for VTA light rail trains and a control center for the rail service, is near the sheriff's office, the city police headquarters and the National Guard office. Law enforcement are asking the public to avoid the area. Bomb squads are currently in the area following reports of explosives in the building.A separate house fire on Angmar Court in San Jose that took place at 6:30 a.m. is likely linked to the shooting, said San Jose Mayor Sam Liccardo. The FBI is currently on site at the home.VTA light rail service has been suspended for the remainder of the day, said VTA chairman Glenn Hendricks, but will be replaced by bus service. He added that the shooting did not take place in the VTA's control center.The San Jose Police Department and the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office were both on the scene just after 7 a.m. The shooting took place at about 6:30 a.m., when multiple calls were made to 911 of shots fired, Davis said. The Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office said that the shooter was down just after 8:10 a.m.KTVU is reporting that the shooting took place at a union meeting at the VTA rail yard. At least 80 people were in the building when the shooting began, KPIX reported. In addition to the deaths, Davis said there were multiple injuries, although the number and severity of those injuries is unclear at this time.Multiple agencies staged a rescue operation that extricated victims, Davis said. The remaining VTA employees in the building have since been evacuated."We are in a very dark moment, but I am heartened to see the response of the VTA family coming together to help their co-workers. We're going to do everything we can to support the families of those who have lost their loved ones," Liccardo said in a press briefing.California Gov. Gavin Newsom expressed his anger at the repetition of gun violence in America. "It just feels like it happens over and over and over again," he said. "It begs the question: 'What the hell is going on in the United States of America? What are we doing wrong?'""I’ve reached out to Mayor Liccardo to offer my support and condolences," tweeted San Francisco Mayor London Breed. "Our thoughts are with the victims and their families."California Attorney General Rob Bonta mourned the loss, saying his "heart goes out to the families" affected. "Gun violence is America's disease," he wrote on Twitter.The sheriff's office is holding family reunification efforts at 70 W. Hedding St. in the Isaac Newton room, and family and friends can also call (408) 299-2311.