SAN JOSE, Calif. (KRON) – The city of San Jose is mourning the loss of nine innocent people who lost their lives in a mass shooting Wednesday morning.
An employee opened fire at a VTA rail yard in San Jose, killing nine people before ending his own life, authorities said.
One of the victims was 42-year-old Paul DelaCruz Megia.
His family said he was survived by his parents, Leonard and Edna, and was their only son. He also had two sisters, Luci and Julie.
Leonard spoke with KRON4 and had a hard time holding back tears as he talked about his son.
“My son is a very fine man and he was my best friend,” Leonard said.
The 42-year-old moved in with his mom and dad after a divorce, along with his three children. He had since been remarried.
“Paul was a wonderful dad and a good son, he does everything for his family and I’m gonna miss him. His kids are wonderful too because of their dad’s guidance,” Leonard said.
Paul started at the VTA in 2002 as a bus operator trainee and rose up in the ranks to assistant superintendent in service management.
“He wasn’t supposed to be there yesterday, he was supposed to work at home but they called him to go and I was looking for him yesterday morning for breakfast, my wife said he left for work,” Leonard said.
Leonard did not know anything about the gunman prior to Wednesday’s shooting. He does believe his son’s role as a manager may have played a part in why he was killed.
Coincidently, Leonard says his son-in-law, who is a San Jose firefighter, had been on the scene of the fire at the gunman’s house that morning.
Leonard expressed concerns about the hole this terrible loss will leave in his grandchildren’s lives but said he will do his best to help guide them.
You can find a list of all the victims identified in the shooting here.