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VTA had “no indication” that a mass shooting was planned concluded an independent investigation

Photos of the victims of the shooting in San Jose at the Valley Transportation Authority.
Valley Transportation Authority
Photos of the victims of the shooting in San Jose at the Valley Transportation Authority.

GREENFIELD, Calif. (KION-TV)- Update Dec. 12, 2022, at 5:32 p.m.- The independent investigators hired to look at the Valley Transportation Authority concluded their findings Monday at a press conference for the mass shooting that took the lives of nine people in San Jose in 2021.

They said there was "no indication" that the agency had advance warning or knowledge of a planned mass shooting at their Guadalupe Light Rail Yard, per KTVU.

Greenfield native among San Jose shooting victims

Officials confirmed the identities of the nine victims of a shooting Wednesday morning at the Valley Transportation Authority in San Jose, and one of them is from the Central Coast.

According to close family friends and the City of Greenfield, 49-year-old Timothy Michael Romo is the son of former Greenfield Mayor and Chief of Police Mike Romo.

Greenfield resident Art Salvagno says he has known Romo since around the time he was born and has known some of his family members dating as far back as the 1960s. He was also Romo's teacher at one point. He tells KION he was at home watching the news with his wife when they heard Romo's name read on the list of deceased victims.

“That’s how we found out so then we called Linda, his cousin, and she verified that he was the one that…he was killed," says Salvagno.

Salvagno explains his biggest concern now is for the family and worried what they may be going through as they try to cope with the loss.

“Tim will certainly be missed and I hope in time that you and us and all of the community can find closure," says Salvagno.

Greenfield Mayor Lance Walker wrote in a social media post that Romo's mother, Reggie, worked at a local school for several years and that he leaves behind two sisters, two brothers, his parents, his wife, three children and grand children.

"Reggie worked in the school cafeteria for years, she was like everybody’s
second mom," says Walker.

Mayor walker says although it's too soon to tell, he hopes the city will eventually be able to plan and organize a memorial for Romo.

The other victims of the shooting are identified as:

  • Abdolvahab Alaghmandan, 63
  • Adrian Balleza, 29
  • Alex Ward Fritch, 49
  • Jose Dejesus Hernandez III, 35
  • Lars Kepler Lane, 63
  • Paul Delacruz Megia, 42
  • Michael Joseph Rudometkin, 40
  • Taptejdeep Singh, 36

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Avery Johnson

Avery Johnson is the Digital Content Director at KION News Channel 5/46.

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