(CNN)The nine victims of a mass shooting in San Jose on Wednesday have been identified as investigators begin the process of figuring out why such a fierce burst of violence happened during the early morning hours at a light rail yard.
Eight of the victims, who ranged from ages 29 to 63, were identified Wednesday by the Santa Clara County office of the Medical Examiner-Coroner as Paul Delacruz Megia, 42; Taptejdeep Singh, 36; Adrian Balleza, 29; Jose Dejesus Hernandez III, 35; Timothy Michael Romo, 49; Michael Joseph Rudometkin, 40; Abdolvahab Alaghmandan, 63; and Lars Kepler Lane, 63.
A ninth victim, Alex Ward Fritch, age 49, was transported to Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in critical condition and died Wednesday evening, the coroner's office said.
They will be honored Thursday night at an event at the San Jose City Hall Plaza.
Among the victims were the gunman's coworkers at the Valley Transportation Authority (VTA). The VTA is a public transit service that operates bus and light rail services in the Santa Clara Valley and employs about 2,000 workers.
Michael Joseph Rudometkin, right, was remembered by San Jose councilmember Raul Peralez, left, in a Facebook post. He described him as a "long time great friend."
Michael Joseph Rudometkin, right, was remembered by San Jose councilmember Raul Peralez, left, in a Facebook post. He described him as a "long time great friend."
Wednesday's incident was the 232nd shooting in which at least four people were shot in the US so far this year, according to a tally by the Gun Violence Archive, as another community has been left to make sense of violence that struck close to home.
The killings in San Jose are the latest in a spate of shootings that have struck essential workers in the US, who have tried to stay safe during the Covid-19 pandemic yet were murdered in mass acts of violence.
And much like other previous instances, investigators are looking into the gunman's motive, according to Deputy Russell Davis of the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office.
One thing that has become clear is that "the victims and all the colleagues knew the shooter well," Mayor Sam Liccardo told CNN's Jake Tapper.
Emergency responders gather at the scene of the shooting.
