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>The designer brand issued the apology after many critiqued the company for making light of suicide on the runway Burberry Apologizes After Sending Model Down Runway in a Hoodie with a Noose Around the Neck Burberry has issued an apology after one of their models walked the runway wearing a sweatshirt with strings tied in the shape of a noose around the neck. The designer brand received a lot of backlash following their decision to showcase the controversial design during their Autumn/Winter 2019 fashion week show in London earlier this week. Get push notifications with news, features and more. In the apology issued to CNN, Burberry’s Chief Executive Officer Marco Gobbetti said the company regretted the design and would be removing the item from their collection. “We are deeply sorry for the distress caused by one of the products that featured in our A/W 2019 runway collection,” Gobbetti said. “Though the design was inspired by the marine theme that ran throughout the collection, it was insensitive and we made a mistake.” Burberry did not immediately respond to PEOPLE’s request for comment. In addition, Burberry’s Chief Creative Officer Riccardo Tisci, who also served as the designer of the show, issued an apology on behalf of the fashion brand. 10111102b Burberry model wearing the hoodie with a noose “I am so deeply sorry for the distress that has been caused as a result of one of the pieces in my show on Sunday,” he said, according to CNN. “It was never my intention to upset anyone,” Tisci continued. “It does not reflect my values nor Burberry’s and we have removed it from the collection. I will make sure that this does not happen again.” Critique of the controversial design happened days after the model strutted down the runway in the brown sweatshirt. Model Liz Kennedy, who walked in the fashion show but did not wear the design, expressed her disgust and disapproval for the noose prior to Sunday’s show, but said she was dismissed because “it’s fashion.” “Suicide is not fashion. It is not glamorous nor edgy and since this show is dedicated to the youth expressing their voice, here I go,” she began the heated Instagram post, which was shared on Sunday. Along with two photos of design, Kennedy also posted a screenshot of an Instagram post from Tisci, where the CCO captioned a photo of the sweatshirt by saying he was “dedicating this show to the youth of today.” The post has since been deleted. “Riccardo Tisci and everyone at Burberry it is beyond me how you could let a look resembling a noose hanging from a neck out on the runway,” she said. “How could anyone overlook this and think it would be okay to do this especially in a line dedicated to young girls and youth. The impressionable youth.” Kennedy went on to mention the “rising suicide rates worldwide” and the “horrifying history of lynching,” adding that of all the ways to tie a rope, the designers specifically chose a noose while “completely ignoring the fact that it was hanging around a neck.” Kennedy argued that a well-known brand like Burberry, who she said prides itself on being classy, “should not have overlooked such an obvious resemblance” and explained that she was personally impacted by suicide, which made this even more difficult to grasp. The model also added that the company would make light of suicide in the dressing room — “they briefly hung [a noose] from the ceiling and were laughing about it in the dressing room,” she claimed — and said they dismissed her concerns when she brought it to their attention. “I left my fitting extremely triggered after seeing this look (even though I did not wear it myself),” she said. “Feeling as though I was right back where I was when I was going through an experience with suicide in my family.” “I had asked to speak to someone about it but the only thing I was told to do was to write a letter,” Kennedy continued. “I had a brief conversation with someone but all that it entailed was ‘it’s fashion. Nobody cares about what’s going on in your personal life so just keep it to yourself. '” Kennedy, however, refused to stay silent on the matter, which she felt “very passionate” about. “…this is an issue bigger than myself. The issue is not about me being upset, there is a bigger picture here of what fashion turns a blind eye to or does to gain publicity,” she finished. “A look so ignorantly put together and a situation so poorly handled. I am ashamed to have been apart of the show.” RELATED VIDEO: Designer August Getty Opens Up About Dressing Bebe Rexha for Clive Davis Party: ‘It’s Time for Designers to Wake Up’ Gobbetti told CNN that he eventually called Kennedy after becoming aware of the product and her post to apologize. Meanwhile, other companies, including the UK’s Mental Health Foundation also spoke out on the matter and said Burberry has a responsibility to “be better” moving forward. “It is disappointing to see this representation in our day and age considering how much ground we have covered in mental health in recent years,” Antonis Kousoulis, the charity’s associate director of research, told CNN. “Highly influential global brands like Burberry certainly have a role to play in giving a voice to diverse views, respecting people with lived experience, and being role models,” he added.<doc-sep>NEW YORK (AP) — The chief executive and chief creative officer of luxury fashion powerhouse Burberry have apologized for putting a hoodie with strings tied in the shape of a noose on their London Fashion Week runway. The knotted strings surfaced after Sunday’s show when a model hired to walk (but not wear the outfit) complained both before the show and on Instagram, saying the noose not only evoked lynchings but also suicide. Marco Gobbetti, the brand’s CEO, said in a statement Tuesday that Burberry is “deeply sorry for the distress” the top has caused and has removed it from the autumn-winter collection, along with all images featuring the look. Riccardo Tisci, Burberry’s creative director, also apologized, saying “while the design was inspired by a nautical theme, I realize that it was insensitive.” Model Liz Kennedy took to Instagram the day of the show, posting a photo of the hoodie with a long message directed at Burberry and Tisci. “Suicide is not fashion,” she wrote. “It is not glamorous nor edgy and since this show is dedicated to the youth expressing their voice, here I go. Riccardo Tisci and everyone at Burberry it is beyond me how you could let a look resembling a noose hanging from a neck out on the runway.” She added, “Let’s not forget about the horrifying history of lynching either.” Her post has prompted dozens of negative social media comments directed at Burberry and Tisci. The collection, called “Tempest,” is Tisci’s second for the brand. The clothes were a mix of classic, severely tailored ensembles to more trendy street-inspired looks aimed at younger consumers. Kennedy and other critics said the company should have known better. “A massive brand like Burberry who is typically considered commercial and classy should not have overlooked such an obvious resemblance. I left my fitting extremely triggered after seeing this look. Feeling as though I was right back where I was when I was going through an experience with suicide in my family,” Kennedy wrote on Instagram. She said she asked to speak to somebody about it and was told to write a letter. “I had a brief conversation with someone but all that it entailed was ‘It’s fashion. Nobody cares about what’s going on in your personal life so just keep it to yourself.’” Gobbetti said he called Kennedy to apologize as soon as he became aware of her concerns on Monday. “The experience Ms. Kennedy describes does not reflect who we are and our values. We will reflect on this, learn from it and put in place all necessary actions to ensure it does not happen again.” The gaffe comes after Gucci removed a sweater from the market last week after complaints that the oversized collar designed to cover the face resembled blackface makeup. In December, Prada stopped selling baubles that also prompted complaints of racist imagery. Those two companies have announced initiatives to foster cultural diversity and awareness among their employees to avoid future missteps.<doc-sep>Written by Rob Picheta, CNN Fashion brand Burberry has apologized for showcasing a hoodie that featured a noose around the neck during its show at London Fashion Week. The retailer said it has removed the item from its collection, after criticism from one of its own models led to an online backlash. "We are deeply sorry for the distress caused by one of the products that featured in our A/W 2019 runway collection," Marco Gobbetti, Burberry chief executive officer, said in a statement provided to CNN. "Though the design was inspired by the marine theme that ran throughout the collection, it was insensitive and we made a mistake," he added. The design was criticized by model Liz Kennedy, who featured in the show but claimed her concerns about the use of a noose were dismissed. "Suicide is not fashion," Kennedy wrote on Instagram. "It is beyond me how you could let a look resembling a noose hanging from a neck out on the runway." "I had asked to speak to someone about it but the only thing I was told to do was to write a letter," Kennedy added. Kennedy also mentioned the "horrifying history of lynching" that the noose shaped evoked, a connection that was also picked up on by critics on social media. She also claimed that staff were joking about the design before the show, while hanging the noose from a ceiling. "I had a brief conversation with someone but all that it entailed was 'it's fashion. Nobody cares about what's going on in your personal life so just keep it to yourself,'" she said. Gobbetti said he called Kennedy to apologize after becoming aware of the product. The UK's Mental Health Foundation was also critical of the concept, and said the incident demonstrated the need for fashion houses to examine their creative processes. "It is disappointing to see this representation in our day and age considering how much ground we have covered in mental health in recent years," said Antonis Kousoulis, associate director of research at the charity. "I was glad to hear that the fashion house apologized and pulled the item, but, more generally, I would like to see more diversity in the creative process," Kousoulis added. "Highly influential global brands like Burberry certainly have a role to play in giving a voice to diverse views, respecting people with lived experience, and being role models." The item featured in Burberry's Autumn/Winter collection, named "Tempest," which debuted in London on Sunday. The show's designer, Burberry's chief creative officer Riccardo Tisci, added: "I am so deeply sorry for the distress that has been caused as a result of one of the pieces in my show on Sunday." "While the design was inspired by a nautical theme, I realize that it was insensitive. It was never my intention to upset anyone. It does not reflect my values nor Burberry's and we have removed it from the collection. I will make sure that this does not happen again," he added.<doc-sep>
On Sunday during London Fashion Week, designer Riccardo Tisci debuted a nautical-themed fall/winter 2019 runway show for Burberry in which a model wore a brown hoodie with ties at the neck that resembled a noose. It was an upsetting situation and one of the models who walked, Liz Kennedy, called it out as such. "Suicide is not fashion. It is not glamorous nor edgy...Riccardo Tisci and everyone at Burberry it is beyond me how you could let a look resembling a noose hanging from a neck out on the runway... Let's not forget about the horrifying history of lynching either," she said in a post on Instagram. "How could anyone overlook this and think it would be okay to do this especially in a line dedicated to young girls and youth." She went on to explain why the garment was so disturbing to her personally. "I left my fitting extremely triggered after seeing this look (even though I did not wear it myself). Feeling as though I was right back where I was when I was going through an experience with suicide in my family. Also to add in they briefly hung one from the ceiling (trying to figure out the knot) and were laughing about it in the dressing room. I had asked to speak to someone about it but the only thing i was told to do was to write a letter. I had a brief conversation with someone but all that it entailed was 'it's fashion. Nobody cares about what's going on in your personal life so just keep it to yourself.' Well I'm sorry but this is an issue bigger than myself. The issue is not about me being upset, there is a bigger picture here of what fashion turns a blind eye to or does to gain publicity. A look so ignorantly put together and a situation so poorly handled. I am ashamed to have been a part of the show. I did not post this to disrespect the designer or the brand but to simply express an issue I feel very passionate about." By Wednesday, Burberry's CEO, Marco Gobbetti, issued a response to the backlash: "We are deeply sorry for the distress caused by one of the products that featured in our A/W 2019 runway collection. Though the design was inspired by the marine theme that ran throughout the collection, it was insensitive and we made a mistake." Tisci has also apologized. "I am so deeply sorry for the distress that has been caused as a result of one of the pieces in my show on Sunday," he told Highsnobiety. "While the design was inspired by a nautical theme, I realize that it was insensitive. It was never my intention to upset anyone. It does not reflect my values nor Burberry's and we have removed it from the collection. I will make sure that this does not happen again." If you or someone you know needs help, please text Crisis Text Line at 741741, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255). Rachel Torgerson I'm Cosmopolitan's fashion editor—you can follow me on Instagram at @racheltorgs