Solved case · 1993
The short answer
On July 1, 1993, a gunman opened fire inside a San Francisco office tower at 101 California Street, killing eight people and injuring six others before killing himself as police closed in.
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Suggest coverage for 101 California Street shootingOn the afternoon of July 1, 1993, at approximately 2:57 p.m., a 55-year-old man named Gian Luigi Ferri entered the office building at 101 California Street in San Francisco and went to the offices of the law firm Pettit & Martin, which occupied several upper floors of the building. Ferri had a past, limited connection to the firm: in 1981 Pettit & Martin had referred him to other legal counsel regarding real estate matters in the Midwest and had no further contact with him in the twelve years that followed. Ferri had reportedly expressed hostility toward lawyers in general weeks before the attack.
After exiting an elevator on the 34th floor — a stop caused incidentally by another employee's call button — Ferri put on ear protection and began shooting with two TEC-9 pistols fitted with Hell-Fire trigger systems and a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun, using a mix of Black Talon hollow-point and standard ammunition. He moved through the 34th floor, then descended an internal staircase to continue shooting on lower floors. As San Francisco police closed in, Ferri died by suicide. In total, eight people were killed and six others were injured.
Those killed included Shirley Mooser and Donald "Mike" Merrill, both employees of the Trust Company of the West; Allen J. Berk and John Scully, attorneys at Pettit & Martin (Scully was reported to have shielded his wife, Michelle Scully, who was injured in the attack); Deborah Fogel, a legal secretary with Davis Wright Tremaine; David Sutcliffe, a law student interning at Pettit & Martin; and attorney Jack Berman and his client Jody Jones Sposato, who were together for a deposition at the time of the shooting. Those injured included Victoria Smith, Sharon Jones O'Roke (the first person shot), Michelle Scully, Brian F. Berger (who died in 1995, with his death later attributed to wounds from the shooting), court reporter Deanna Eaves, and Charles Ross.
A four-page typed letter left by Ferri contained numerous grammatical errors and complaints, including claims that he had been poisoned by MSG and "raped" by Pettit & Martin and other firms, along with a list of more than 30 people described as "criminals, rapists, racketeeres [sic], lobbyists" — none of whom were among the victims. Investigators and reporters were unable to determine a clear, coherent motive from the letter.
The shootings prompted calls for stricter gun control and contributed to subsequent legislative efforts, including provisions that preceded the federal Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. California adopted additional firearms regulations in the aftermath, and organizations such as Legal Community Against Violence and the Jack Berman Advocacy Center were founded in response to the attack. Pettit & Martin, already experiencing financial difficulties before the shooting, dissolved in 1995 following partner departures.
Gian Luigi Ferri (born Gianluigi Ettore Ferri), the perpetrator, is born.
Pettit & Martin refers Ferri to alternative legal counsel regarding Midwest real estate matters; the firm has no further contact with him afterward.
Ferri enters 101 California Street in San Francisco and opens fire on multiple floors occupied by the law firm Pettit & Martin and other tenants, killing eight and injuring six before dying by suicide as police close in.
The New York Times publishes reporting on the shooter's background and possible motive.
The New York Times publishes further reporting examining the shooter's writings and possible motive.
The New York Times publishes a profile of victims of the attack.
Injured victim Brian F. Berger dies at his home at age 41; the law firm Pettit & Martin dissolves following partner departures.
The New York Times reports a lawsuit is allowed to proceed against the manufacturer of guns used in the 1993 shootings.
It is publicly confirmed that Brian F. Berger's 1995 death resulted from wounds sustained in the 1993 shooting.
The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, influenced in part by legislative responses to the shooting, takes effect.
Victims first. Every legal label is set from public records and court outcomes, not from the prose.
Killed; partner at the law firm Pettit & Martin.[3]
Injured in the 1993 shooting; died in 1995, later confirmed to be from those wounds.[3]
Injured in the shooting.[3]
Killed; law student interning at Pettit & Martin.[3]
Injured; court reporter recording a deposition at the time of the attack.[3]
Killed; legal secretary for Davis Wright Tremaine.[3]
Killed; employee of the Trust Company of the West.[3]
Killed; attorney with Bronson, Bronson & McKinnon, present for a client deposition.[3]
Killed; plaintiff in a lawsuit, present for deposition at Pettit & Martin.[3]
Killed; attorney with Pettit & Martin, reported to have shielded his wife during the attack.[3]
Injured; wife of victim John Scully.[3]
Injured; first person shot during the attack, in-house counsel taking a deposition.[3]
Killed; secretary at the Trust Company of the West.[3]
Injured in the shooting.[3]
Identified as the gunman who killed eight people (a ninth victim died in 1995) at 101 California Street, San Francisco on 1 July 1993; died by suicide at the scene as police closed in and was never prosecuted.[3]
Coverage is not a source: every fact in this file rests on the records below.
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