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101 California Street shooting

SOLVED1993101 California Street, San Francisco, California, United States3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026

Documents violence · suicide — written to inform, not to shock.

Illustrative

On 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.

Key facts

Victims
Michelle Scully, John Scully, Victoria Smith, Sharon Jones O'Roke, David Sutcliffe, Allen J. Berk, Shirley Mooser, Brian F. Berger, Deborah Fogel, Jack Berman, Donald Merrill, Deanna Eaves, Jody Jones Sposato, Charles Ross
Date
1993
Location
101 California Street, San Francisco, California, United States
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 1937-12-29

    Gian Luigi Ferri (born Gianluigi Ettore Ferri), the perpetrator, is born.

  2. 1981

    Pettit & Martin refers Ferri to alternative legal counsel regarding Midwest real estate matters; the firm has no further contact with him afterward.

  3. 1993-07-01

    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.

  4. 1993-07-03

    The New York Times publishes reporting on the shooter's background and possible motive.

  5. 1993-07-04

    The New York Times publishes further reporting examining the shooter's writings and possible motive.

  6. 1993-07-07

    The New York Times publishes a profile of victims of the attack.

  7. 1995

    Injured victim Brian F. Berger dies at his home at age 41; the law firm Pettit & Martin dissolves following partner departures.

  8. 1995-04-12

    The New York Times reports a lawsuit is allowed to proceed against the manufacturer of guns used in the 1993 shootings.

  9. 1997

    It is publicly confirmed that Brian F. Berger's 1995 death resulted from wounds sustained in the 1993 shooting.

  10. 1994

    The Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act, influenced in part by legislative responses to the shooting, takes effect.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Michelle Scully

    VICTIM

    Injured; wife of victim John Scully.

    citation on file

  • John Scully

    VICTIM

    Killed; attorney with Pettit & Martin, reported to have shielded his wife during the attack.

    citation on file

  • Victoria Smith

    VICTIM

    Injured in the shooting.

    citation on file

  • Sharon Jones O'Roke

    VICTIM

    Injured; first person shot during the attack, in-house counsel taking a deposition.

    citation on file

  • David Sutcliffe

    VICTIM

    Killed; law student interning at Pettit & Martin.

    citation on file

  • Allen J. Berk

    VICTIM

    Killed; partner at the law firm Pettit & Martin.

    citation on file

  • Shirley Mooser

    VICTIM

    Killed; secretary at the Trust Company of the West.

    citation on file

  • Brian F. Berger

    VICTIM

    Injured in the 1993 shooting; died in 1995, later confirmed to be from those wounds.

    citation on file

  • Deborah Fogel

    VICTIM

    Killed; legal secretary for Davis Wright Tremaine.

    citation on file

  • Jack Berman

    VICTIM

    Killed; attorney with Bronson, Bronson & McKinnon, present for a client deposition.

    citation on file

  • Donald Merrill

    VICTIM

    Killed; employee of the Trust Company of the West.

    citation on file

  • Deanna Eaves

    VICTIM

    Injured; court reporter recording a deposition at the time of the attack.

    citation on file

  • Gian Luigi Ferri

    CHARGED

    Identified as the perpetrator of the shooting; died by suicide at the scene and was never prosecuted.

    citation on file

  • Jody Jones Sposato

    VICTIM

    Killed; plaintiff in a lawsuit, present for deposition at Pettit & Martin.

    citation on file

  • Charles Ross

    VICTIM

    Injured in the shooting.

    citation on file

Places

101 California Street, San Francisco, California, United States

37.7928, -122.4001

View on the map

Common questions

What happened to the victim?
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.
Where did the shooting happen?
101 California Street, San Francisco, California, United States.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. 101 California Street shootingwikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Contemporaneous coverage — The New York Timesnews · The New York Times · 2026-07-07
  3. Contemporaneous coverage — SFGatenews · SFGate · 2026-07-07
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