District attorney says commuters too busy on phones to notice man’s gun

A San Francisco man who shot a university student on a crowded commuter train flashed a gun several times, but passengers were so absorbed in their phones and tablets they did not notice him. Security video footage showed Nikhom Thephakaysone, 30, pull out the .45-calibre pistol, raise it and point it across the aisle before putting it back against his side, authorities told the San Francisco Chronicle. He drew it out several more times and once wiped his nose with the hand holding the gun. “These weren’t concealed movements — the gun is very clear,” George Gascon, San Francisco district attorney, said. Mr. Thephakaysone, 30, is accused of fatally shooting Justin Valdez, 20, in the back of the head as he left the train.