Shareef Allman: In Planned Black Berserker Syndrome Attack, “Calm, Gentle Person” Shoots 9, Mostly Hispanic Colleagues, Killing 3, Plus Woman in

Attempted Carjacking, at Cupertino, CA, Limestone Quarry; Killer Still at Large!
 

Mug shot of Cupertino shooting suspect Shareef (Frank) Allman, described variously as 45 or 47 years of age.
 

By Nicholas Stix

Here’s what is known so far: The suspect went to work with an arsenal, so this was not spontaneous. He used a rifle and a pistol in carrying out the shooting, while police found four other weapons and ammunition in his truck. At last report (3:58 p.m.), he was believed to be on foot, but was seeking to carjack a new vehicle.

The suspect’s original name was Frank Allman, but he now goes by “Shareef” Allman. He was at the quarry for about 14 years, and was well-liked by colleagues and neighbors, but of late he had grown paranoid about his work situation. (Haven’t we all?) According to a local CBS reporter, his only known criminal history was a “misdemeanor” check forgery conviction, for which he did an indeterminate amount of time, back in 1992. I’ve never heard of “misdemeanor” forgery. But that report can’t be true: The picture of Allman at the top, which is all over the news, is a mug shot of recent vintage from “South Bay Police.” I was uanble to determine which department that was.

The suspect had been living with a grown daughter for the past few years. An estranged or divorced wife lives in the area. He dabbled in writing (domestic violence) and public access TV production.

[Thanks to my legman, David in TN, for the heads-up.]

 



October 5, 2011 9:51 a.m.; updated at 3:58 p.m. ET.

Gunman at large after deadly Calif. Rampage
 

Police surround the entrance of the Lehigh Southwest Cement Company in Cupertino, Calif., Oct. 5, 2011. Authorities say a disgruntled employee, Shareef Allman, inset, opened fire at a meeting. (AP Photo/Paul Sakuma)
(CBS/AP)

CUPERTINO, Calif. - Authorities went door to door with guns drawn Wednesday in search of a disgruntled employee they say opened fire at a Northern California limestone quarry, killing three and wounding six, before possibly wounding another woman in an attempted carjacking.
 

I believe that the young man on the left is named Kawaan, is the same young man who is in the next picture, and appears to share a MySpace page with the suspect. Relationship unknown.
 

Schools were on lockdown or closed in the Silicon Valley city of Cupertino and nearby Los Gatos as SWAT teams sought Shareef Allman, 47.

 
Relationship of young woman to Allman and Kawaan unknown, but Kawaan claims to be single.
 

Allman was at a routine safety meeting at the quarry at about 4:30 a.m. when he became disgruntled and left, Santa Clara County Sheriff's Lt. Rick Sung said. He then returned with a handgun and rifle and started shooting people, Sung said.

Sheriff Laurie Smith said two people were pronounced dead at Permanente Quarry in Cupertino, and a third person died later at the hospital.

Six others at the quarry were wounded and taken to area hospitals, Smith said. Some of them remained in critical condition, she said.

About 15 workers were evacuated and being kept at a safe location.

Authorities located Allman's vehicle and have seized four weapons believed to belong to the suspect, Smith said.

"The challenges are the big geographical area," she said. "The challenges are that he's armed."

 
Police search a neighborhood in Cupertino, Calif., Oct. 5, 2011, looking for a shooting suspect.
(Credit: AP Photo)
 


 

Around 7 a.m., authorities received a 911 call that a woman was shot in an attempted carjacking near Hewlett-Packard Co.'s Cupertino campus by a man matching Allman's description. The shooter then fled on foot.

He used a weapon similar to the gun used in the quarry shooting, and authorities were including the female carjacking victim in the official count of Allman's victims, bringing the total injured to seven.

The carjacking victim was listed in fair condition at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, according to hospital spokeswoman Joy Alexiou.

Cupertino Union School District officials said schools in the area remained open Wednesday morning but students were being held inside classrooms as a precaution while the gunman remains on the loose, KPIX-TV in San Francisco reports.

Employees at Apple, which has its headquarters in Cupertino, were also told to stay inside their offices during the search Wednesday morning, an employee said.

KPIX reports that along with working at the cement plant, Allman apparently also was a producer at the San Jose public access TV channel CreaTV and an author who wrote a book, "Amazing Grace," that addressed domestic violence issues.

Allman is not a paid employee, according to Executive Director Suzanne St. John-Crane, just one of a number of producers that submit content.

St. John-Crain said everyone at CreaTV on W. Julian St. was shocked and called Allman a calm, gentle person.