Reuters Videos Eight people were killed Wednesday when a transit employee opened fire at a light rail yard in San Jose, California, the latest in what has become an all too common occurrence in the U.S.All eight were employees of the Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority, or VTA.“This is a very dark moment for our city…”At a news conference, Mayor Sam Liccardo hailed these essential workers for helping the city get through the pandemic.“They were showing up every day to operate light rail and buses to ensure people could still continue to go about their lives, and they had all of the challenges of the pandemic, and they were taking risks with their own lives in doing so.”The gunman – a fellow VTA employee – took his own life, apparently when he became aware that police were closing in on him. Local media outlets identified him as 57-year-old Samuel Cassidy, a maintenance worker.The shooting took place just before 7 a.m. Pacific time. VTA chairman Glenn Hendricks said it occurred in the maintenance yard.“It’s just very difficult for everyone to be able to wrap their heads around and understand what has happened.”Officials said a bomb squad was searching the yard after "at least one" explosive device was found. Authorities also responded to a fire at the home of the suspect that erupted at about the same time as the shooting.The FBI is assisting in the investigation, and the White House is monitoring the situation.San Jose lies at the heart of Silicon Valley, home to some of America's biggest tech companies. "What the hell is going on in the United States of America? What the hell is wrong with us? "California Governor Gavin Newsom was visibly angry as he urged politicians from both parties to move beyond the usual platitudes that follow gun violence and finally take action. "It's time to deal with the endemic, before this pandemic, of gun violence. The pre-existing condition that somehow we sort of pushed aside last year but now has raised its ugly head again this year. And wake up to this reality and take a little damn responsibility, all of us, to do a little bit more and a little bit better this time.” Mass gun violence has escalated considerably as the U.S. emerged from the worst of the pandemic this spring.<doc-sep>One runner's pain is every spectator's pleasure. An Englishman was attempting to break the world record for a marathon runner dressed as an iconic building during Sunday's London Marathon. Dressed as the clock tower in London's Palace of Westminster — commonly known as "Big Ben" — Lukas Bates was close to making it across the finish line when he became stuck. The 30-year-old's costume, which stretched close to five feet tall, got caught on the overhead scoreboard he was trying to run under. After several failed attempts to make it through himself, a race steward helped him to cross the line Sunday. Bates, of the Paddock Wood Athletic Club in southeastern England, finished the race in 3 hours, 54 minutes and 21 seconds — almost 20 seconds slower than the record set by Richard Mietz, who ran the 2018 Berlin Marathon dressed as the Holstentor gate in Germany. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP "Our member Lukas Bates, running a brilliant sub 4hr time and then having a little trouble at the finish line! #BigBen," the athletic club tweeted. The nickname "Big Ben" refers to the clock's Great Bell but is often extended to refer to both the clock itself as well as the clock tower. In 2012, the clock tower was formally renamed "Elizabeth Tower" to mark the 60th anniversary of Queen Elizabeth II's coronation. The Associated Press contributed to this report.<doc-sep>Running 42km is no easy feat on any given day. But running it dressed as an enormous tower, only to be taken down at the finish line, is just cruel. That was the situation Lukas Bates found himself in on Sunday as he tried to break the world record for a runner dressed as a landmark building - in this case, the tower that houses Big Ben. As it turns out, poor Lukas hadn’t quite thought through the dimensions of his outfit. As the famous London clock made its way to the finish line, surrounded by runners in slightly more conventional activewear, disaster struck. The 1.5m tower proved too tall for the finish-line timer. Credit: AP With the help of officials, Big Ben eventually made it over the line. Credit: AP The costume’s peaked roof, which stretched 1.5 metres above his head, ran into the overhead scoreboard. After several failed attempts to get under the barrier, a race steward helped him to cross the line. Bates’ quest for the record was also stymied. He finished in three hours, 54 minutes, 21 seconds - almost 20 minutes slower than the record set by Richard Mietz. Mietz ran the 2018 Berlin Marathon dressed as the Holstentor, a gothic city gate in the German city of Lübeck.<doc-sep>The London Marathon is hard enough at the best of times, but for the many costumed runners, the finish line cannot come fast enough. For Lukas Bates though, arriving at the finish line was not quite the relief he hoped it would be. The 30-year-old, of the Paddock Wood Athletic Club in Kent, was attempting to break the world record for a runner dressed as a landmark building — in this case the tower that houses Big Ben at Britain's Houses of Parliament. But as he finished, his costume's peaked roof, which stretched 1.5 meters above his head, ran into the overhead scoreboard. After several failed attempts to get under the barrier, a race steward helped him to cross the line. Sadly, the scoreboard not only halted Bates' progress, but also told him the unwelcome news that his quest for the record had also been stymied. He finished in 3 hours, 54 minutes, 21 seconds, almost 20 minutes slower than the record set by Richard Mietz, who ran the 2018 Berlin Marathon dressed as the Holstentor — the iconic medieval gate in the German city of Lubeck. More than 40,000 runners braved the streets of the British capital on what was a blustery day, with athletes sporting a variety of costumes completing the 42.2-kilometre course lined by several thousand spectators. 'I do not chase two rabbits' Eliud Kipchoge of Kenya ran the second-fastest marathon time to win in London for a record fourth time on Sunday, with compatriot Brigid Kosgei sweeping to victory by almost two minutes in the women's race. The 34-year-old Kipchoge pulled clear of Ethiopian runners Mosinet Geremew and Mule Wasihun in the final 10 minutes to complete the course in 2 hours, 2 minutes, 37 seconds — bettering his own course record by 28 seconds. Eliud Kipchoge now has four London Marathon titles to go with his world record. ( AP: Alastair Grant Only Kipchoge has run a marathon quicker than that, when breaking the world record in Berlin in September in a time of 2:01:39. With more twists and turns, London is typically a slower course than Berlin — making Kipchoge's display even more exceptional. "I'm happy to win on the streets of London for the fourth time and to make history," Kipchoge told BBC Sport after completing his victory. "The crowd in London is wonderful and that spirit pushed me. From the first kilometre to the last, everybody is shouting. I'm happy to cross the line." Kipchoge will go down as one of the greatest champions ever, having previously claimed victory in London in 2015, '16 and '18. "As usual, I do not chase two rabbits — I only chase one and that was London. I have caught that rabbit so I will discuss with my team what follows. The second option is still open." Kipchoge outpaced Ethiopian pair Geremew — who finished 18 seconds behind — and Wasihun, who came home a further 21 seconds back. Nobody has run quicker to finish a marathon in second or third place. Loading Farah fifth after extraordinary feud Prior to the race, attention had been focused on home-town favourite Mo Farah — who memorably claimed the 5,000m-10,000m double at both the London and Rio Olympics — but he could not live with the pace of the leaders. Somalia-born Farah, who was knighted in 2017, dropped away at the 22.5km mark and finished a distant fifth. Mo Farah (left) and Haile Gebrselassie have been embroiled in a disagreement over a stay in a hotel. ( Reuters/AP That was not the only disappointment for Farah, after the British champion had been involved in an extraordinary public feud with retired distance-running great Haile Gebrselassie, however Farah claimed the tit-for-tat exchanges in the build-up had not affected him on race day. "I didn't think the fuss affected my run and I wasn't distracted," Farah said. "It was all about London today and so I put my head down, did my best. "I don't regret anything I said and I respect the race. "My aim was to reel them back once the pacemaker dropped out but wasn't able to. I am disappointed as training went well." Farah also said he was yet to decide which race he would commit to in the upcoming World Championships in Qatar, where he could compete in either the marathon or 10,000 metres. "At the minute my brain is all over the place," he added. "I am going to have a chat with my coach and my agent and have a step back. "I think, for me, I want to do a marathon. I gave it my all, I was aiming to run a low 2:04 but that is what it was." Fastest Australian in 12 years Kosgei bettered her second-place finish in last year's race by winning in 2:18:20 for her second victory in the World Marathon Majors, after Chicago last year. The Kenyan ran the quickest-ever second half of a women's marathon to become the youngest ever female winner in London. Loading Compatriot and defending champion Vivian Cheruiyot finished in a time of 2:20:14 and Roza Dereje of Ethiopia was third, 37 seconds further back. Three-time champion Mary Keitany had kept pace with the leading trio until the 30km mark, but fell back to finish fifth. Australian Sinead Diver finished in an incredible seventh place in a time of 2:24.11, smashing her previous personal best by more than a minute. The Irish-born 42-year-old — who led at the halfway stage — ran the third-fastest time by an Australian marathon runner and has qualified for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics in the event. Brett Robinson was Australia's highest male finisher in 13th, finishing just 11 seconds ahead of compatriot Jack Rayner in 2:10:55. Dan Romanchuk, a 20-year-old American, won the men's wheelchair race ahead of Switzerland's Marcel Hug. The women's wheelchair race was won comfortably by Switzerland's Manuela Schar, the 2017 champion. ABC/Wires<doc-sep>
Today saw more than 40,000 pull on their trainers to take part in the London Marathon, raising millions for charity. Many of those runners will lash on a silly costume, which surely makes an already tough challenge that little bit more difficult. One costume that certainly made things more difficult for the poor bugger wearing it, is this rather lovely Big Ben one. Of course, being Big Ben, it has to be a big, doesn't it? But this one was so big that it couldn't fit under the finish line arch and the runner got stuck. Thankfully, a volunteer was on-hand to help guide Big Ben though - adding about 30 seconds on to the runner's time. Advert 10 Inside the costume was Lukas Bates, who was hoping he would be able to break the record for running the fastest marathon while dressed as a landmark building - niche. The current record stands at 3 hours and 34 minutes, which Lukas didn't quite manage, crossing the finish line in three hours and 54 minutes. He told the Evening Standard: "Having run the London Marathon four times previously, this year I decided I wanted to do something different, have a bit of fun and wear a crazy costume. "It's going to be very hard to break the record with the costume I've chosen. I could have made it smaller and easier to carry, but I want it to be a real challenge." Advert 10 Other wannabe record breakers at today's event, include Harry Vowles, 25, who ran in a 10kg rhino costume. And two pals from Durham who were hoping to break the world record for the fastest marathon ran as a tooth and toiletry item. Fun costumes are a staple of the London Marathon. Credit: PA A man in a tent suit and someone else dressed as a shoe were also at the start line. Advert 10 Elsewhere, winner Eliud Kopchoge did manage to break a record, becoming the first ever man to win four times. He came in with an incredible time of two hours, two minutes and 38 seconds, the second fastest marathon time in history. Speaking to BBC Sport, he said: "I'm happy to win on the streets of London for the fourth time and to make history. Advert 10 "The crowd in London is wonderful and that spirit pushed me. From the first kilometre to the last, everybody is shouting. I'm happy to cross the line."