101 California Street shooting

1993 mass shooting in San Francisco, California June 2025 November 2012 101 California Street shooting San Francisco, California, US 37.7928336 -122.4000693 type:event_region:US-CA inline,title United States San Francisco Central 270 37.7928336 -122.4000693 bottom 101 California Street July 1, 1993 2:57 p.m. Mass murder murder-suicide mass shooting 10 (including the perpetrator and a victim who died in 1995) 5 Gian Luigi Ferri * Two Intratec TEC-DC9 pistols Norinco M1911 pistol Financial ruin, grudge against lawyersGoogle.com thumb | right | Aerial view of Fisherman's Wharf on San Francisco Bay on the north side of San Francisco, California, USA The 101 California Street shooting was a mass shooting on July 1, 1993, in San Francisco, California, United States. The killings sparked a number of legal and legislative actions that were precursors to the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, H.R. 3355, 103rd Congress. The Act took effect in 1994 and expired in September 2004 after the expiration of a sunset provision.The Bay Area's deadliest mass shootings John Woolfolk The Mercury News San Jose, California May 26, 2021 May 27, 2021 https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/05/26/the-bay-areas-deadliest-mass-shootings/ May 27, 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210527000837/https://www.mercurynews.com/2021/05/26/the-bay-areas-deadliest-mass-shootings/ live Shootings At 2:57 p.m. 55-year-old failed entrepreneurLambert Pam July 19, 1993 Falling Down https://people.com/archive/falling-down-vol-40-no-3/ People Dotdash Meredith August 3, 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20120510155946/http://www.people.com/people/archive/article/0,,20105875,00.html May 10, 2012 Gian Luigi Ferri (born December 29, 1937, as Gianluigi Ettore Ferri) entered an office building at 101 California Street in San Francisco and made his way to the offices of the law firm Pettit & Martin on the 34th floor. Ferri's reason for targeting that particular firm is unknown, though Ferri had just weeks earlier expressed his strong grudge against lawyers in general when asked by Los Angeles barber Keith Blum, "If you were locked in a room with Saddam, the Ayatollah Khomeini and a lawyer, and you had a gun with two bullets in it, who would you shoot?" Ferri, who had heard the gag before, replied, "The lawyer—twice." P&M had redirected him to alternative legal counsel about some real estate deals in the Midwest in 1981, and had no contact with him in the 12 years since they could not advise him on matters out of state. After exiting an elevator, Ferri donned a pair of ear protectors and opened fire with a pair of TEC-9 handguns and a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun. He reportedly used a mix of Black Talon hollow point and standard ammunition and used Hell-Fire trigger systems for the TEC-9 pistols. After roaming the 34th floor, he moved down one floor through an internal staircase and continued shooting. The attack continued on several floors before Ferri committed suicide as San Francisco Police closed in. Eight people were killed in the attack, and six others injured.http://www.zpub.com/sf/1993/gun1.gif Gunman Slays 8 in Highrise; He Kills Self After Rampage at S.F. Law Office ZPub.com San Francisco Chronicle July 2, 1993 April 29, 2006 December 19, 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20051219153551/http://www.zpub.com/sf/1993/gun1.gif dead The reason for the shootings was never fully determined. A typed letter left behind by Ferri contained a list of complaints,http://www.zpub.com/sf/1993/gun5.jpg Excerpts From Gunman's Letter; Gunman's List Puzzles Those Who Were on It ZPub.com San Francisco Chronicle July 2, 1993 April 29, 2006 December 21, 2005 https://web.archive.org/web/20051221145259/http://www.zpub.com/sf/1993/gun5.jpg dead but the letter was largely unintelligible. Four single-spaced pages in length, the letter contained many grammatical errors, misspellings and was typed in all caps.San Francisco Gunman's Rage Is Revealed in Four-page Letter https://www.chicagotribune.com/1993/07/04/san-francisco-gunmans-rage-is-revealed-in-four-page-letter/ Chicago Tribune July 4, 1993 August 28, 2015 March 4, 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20160304105253/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1993-07-04/news/9307040062_1_food-additive-monosodium-glutamate-martin-law-firm-gian-luigi-ferri live Ferri claimed he had been poisoned by monosodium glutamate (MSG), a flavor enhancer in food, and that he had been "raped" by Pettit & Martin and other firms. The letter also contained complaints against the Food and Drug Administration, the legal profession, and a list of over 30 "criminals, rapists, racketeeres racketeers, lobbyists", none of whom were among his victims."Seeking Motive in the Killing of 8: Insane Ramblings Are Little Help" https://web.archive.org/web/20170314141906/http://www.nytimes.com/1993/07/04/us/seeking-motive-in-the-killing-of-8-insane-ramblings-are-little-help.html March 14, 2017 . The New York Times (4 July 1993). Pettit & Martin occupied floors 33 (partial floor) and 34 to 36. The main reception floor was 35 and Ferri intended that floor as a target. His elevator stopped at the 34th floor because a secretary from that floor had pushed the up button for an elevator. As a result, Ferri began shooting on the 34th floor and worked his way down to lower floors. Victims Killed Shirley Mooser, 64, was a secretary at the Trust Company of the West, which had offices at 101 California Street. Allen J. Berk, 52, was a partner at Pettit & Martin, experienced in labor law, and was well-respected in the San Francisco legal community. He earned an undergraduate degree from City University of New York, and received his law degree from George Washington University. Donald "Mike" Merrill, 48, was an employee of the Trust Company of the West, which had offices at 101 California Street. He had worked as an energy industry consultant, working with independent energy projects. Jack Berman, 36, was a partner with the firm Bronson, Bronson, & McKinnon who was at Pettit & Martin's offices to attend a deposition of his client Jody Sposato. Both attorney Berman and his client were killed. A president of the American Jewish Congress known for his work specializing in employment law and chairing the firm's pro bono committee, Berman was born in Moosup, Connecticut, and graduated from Brown University before receiving his law degree from Boston University School of Law. Berman also co-founded TAX-AID,High-quality tax return preparation for Bay Area families https://web.archive.org/web/20210723024730/https://tax-aid.org/ July 23, 2021 . Tax Aid (31 October 2012). an organization that provides free income tax preparation, and the San Francisco Transitional Housing Fund, a program to aid homeless individuals in finding housing. The New Lawyers Section of the California Lawyers Association gives an annual award in Berman's name. http://www.calbar.ca.gov/AboutUs/Awards/JackBermanAwardofAchievement.aspx Jack Berman Award of Achievement 2015-08-14 The State Bar of California August 1, 2015 https://web.archive.org/web/20150801134119/http://www.calbar.ca.gov/AboutUs/Awards/JackBermanAwardofAchievement.aspx live Deborah Fogel, 33, was a legal secretary for the law firm of Davis Wright Tremaine, which had offices at 101 California Street. Jody Jones Sposato, 30, was a young mother and a client of Bronson, Bronson & McKinnon. She was the plaintiff in a sex discrimination lawsuit against her employer, Electronic Data Systems Corporation. She was at Pettit & Martin for a second day of deposition, accompanied by her attorney Jack Berman. David Sutcliffe, 30, was a law student at the University of Colorado Law School who was interning at Pettit & Martin for the summer. John Scully, 28, was a lawyer with Pettit & Martin who died, according to news reports, while protecting his wife from the gunman. Interested in labor law, Scully earned his bachelor's degree from Gonzaga University and his law degree at the University of San Francisco. He had gotten married about a year before the shootings, and many of his colleagues had attended his wedding in Hawaii. His new wife was visiting the firm for lunch when the gunman arrived. Scully pushed his wife underneath the desk, shielding her with his own body. Injured Victoria Smith, 41. Sharon Jones O'Roke, 35, was in-house counsel at Electronic Data Systems Corporation in Dallas, Texas, and was using a Pettit & Martin conference room to take the deposition of Jody B. Jones Sposato. O'Roke was the first one shot during the attack. Michelle Scully, 27. Brian F. Berger, 39, who died two years later in 1995, at age 41, at his home from unknown and undisclosed causes, possibly from severe wounds that he sustained to his arm and chest during the 1993 shooting. In 1997, it was publicly confirmed that he had died from wounds sustained in the shooting.Chao Julie 1997-07-02 Relatives recall loved ones lost at 101 California St. https://www.sfchronicle.com/news/article/relatives-recall-loved-ones-lost-at-101-3111871.php 2025-01-01 San Francisco Chronicle en Deanna Eaves, 33, a court reporter recording the deposition of Jody Jones Sposato. Charles Ross, 42. Reaction The shootings spurred calls for tighter gun control and were followed by a number of legal and legislative actions. California implemented some of the toughest gun laws in the United States.Harriet Chiang 10 Years After: 101 California Massacre Victims Helped Toughen Gun Laws http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2003/07/01/MN62991.DTL The San Francisco Chronicle 1 July 2003 2010-02-20 April 6, 2012 https://web.archive.org/web/20120406094928/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=%2Fc%2Fa%2F2003%2F07%2F01%2FMN62991.DTL dead A number of organizations were formed in the wake of the shootings, including Legal Community Against Violence,Visit Our New Site! https://web.archive.org/web/20060424053210/http://www.lcav.org/ April 24, 2006 . Lcav.org. which acts as a resource for information on federal, state, and local firearms policies. The American Jewish Congress founded the Jack Berman Advocacy CenterNational Special Interest Groups - Project Vote Smart https://web.archive.org/web/20060525062508/http://www.vote-smart.org/issue_rating_detail.php?sig_id=000917B May 25, 2006 . Vote-smart.org. to lobby and organize with regard to gun control and violence reduction. At the time of the attack, the law firm of Pettit & Martin was already on the decline, and the attack was a brutal blow to the struggling firm. After the defections of several partners, the firm dissolved in 1995. https://web.archive.org/web/20180221035618/https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/101-Calif-massacre-law-firm-closing-3158509.php February 21, 2018 SFGate.com. See also San Francisco Bay Area 1990s Federal assault weapons ban Gun politics in the United States Hollow-point bullet List of homicides in California References External links j.weekly article about the shootings z Publishing aggregation of news articles about the shootings Victims of Chance in Deadly Rampage, The New York Times (7 July 1993) The Broker Who Killed 8: Gunman's Motives a Puzzle, The New York Times (3 July 1993) Seeking Motive in the Killing of 8: Insane Ramblings Are Little Help, The New York Times (4 July 1993) Suit Can Proceed Against Maker Of Guns Used in 1993 Killings, The New York Times (12 April 1995) S.F. Gunman's Firm Failing, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (3 July 1993) Gunman kills 8 and Commits Suicide, Kingman Daily Miner (2 July 1993) Murder in Calif.: What price fame?, St. Petersburg Times (6 July 1993) Category:1993 in San Francisco Category:1993 mass shootings in the United States Category:1993 murders in the United States Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in California Category:Crimes in San Francisco Category:Deaths by firearm in California Category:Financial District, San Francisco Category:July 1993 crimes in the United States Category:1993 mass murders Category:Mass shootings in the San Francisco Bay Area Category:Attacks on office buildings in the United States Category:Murder in the San Francisco Bay Area Category:Murder–suicides in California Category:Mass murders in California Category:1990s crimes in California Category:Attacks on buildings and structures in 1993