The Tragedy at 101 California Street

A Day of Horror

On a seemingly ordinary July afternoon in 1993, the bustling city of San Francisco was about to witness a tragedy that would leave a lasting scar on its community and spark widespread legislative changes. The date was July 1, and the time was 2:57 p.m. when 55-year-old Gian Luigi Ferri stepped into the high-rise office building at 101 California Street, armed and fueled by an unspecified grudge. His target was the prestigious law firm Pettit & Martin, located high up on the 34th floor of the skyscraper.

Ferri, a failed entrepreneur born Gianluigi Ettore Ferri on December 29, 1937, expressed disdain for lawyers in conversations weeks prior, joking about targeting them even in hypothetical scenarios. His reason for attacking Pettit & Martin specifically remained a mystery. The firm had redirected him to alternative legal counsel over a decade earlier in 1981 regarding real estate deals, and they had not interacted since.

Wearing ear protectors, Ferri emerged from the elevator and unleashed a deadly barrage with two TEC-9 handguns and a .45-caliber Norinco M1911 pistol. The ammunition was a lethal combination of Black Talon hollow points and standard bullets, fired with the aid of Hell-Fire trigger systems. As chaos erupted, Ferri roamed the 34th floor, then descended an internal staircase to continue his rampage. The massacre claimed eight lives and injured six others before Ferri turned a gun on himself as police drew near.

The Letter and its Incomprehensible Claims

In the aftermath, authorities discovered a letter typed by Ferri, filled with grievances but largely incoherent. Spanning four single-spaced pages, the document was riddled with grammatical errors and written entirely in capital letters. Ferri made bizarre claims, including being poisoned by MSG and metaphorically "raped" by the legal community, Pettit & Martin included. He listed grievances against the FDA and named over 30 individuals as criminals, none of whom were his victims.

Victims of the Attack

The victims of Ferri's senseless violence were individuals with promising futures and cherished personal lives:

• Shirley Mooser, 64, served as a secretary at the Trust Company of the West.
• Allen J. Berk, 52, a respected labor law partner at Pettit & Martin, was known in the San Francisco legal sphere.
• Donald "Mike" Merrill, 48, worked as an energy industry consultant for the Trust Company of the West.
• Jack Berman, 36, a partner at Bronson, Bronson, & McKinnon, was known for his pro bono work and co-founding TAX-AID. He was at Pettit & Martin for a client deposition.
• Deborah Fogel, 33, was a legal secretary at Davis Wright Tremaine.
• Jody Jones Sposato, 30, a mother embroiled in a sex discrimination lawsuit, was at Pettit & Martin for deposition proceedings.
• David Sutcliffe, 30, was a law student interning at Pettit & Martin.
• John Scully, 28, a labor lawyer, died protecting his wife, whom he had married the year before.

Among the injured were Victoria Smith, Sharon Jones O'Roke, Michelle Scully, Deanna Eaves, Charles Ross, and Brian F. Berger. Tragically, Berger passed away in 1995 from complications related to the injuries he sustained in the shooting.

The Aftermath and Reaction

The horror of that day catalyzed a movement for stricter gun control laws. California responded with some of the nation’s toughest regulations, and organizations like the Legal Community Against Violence emerged to advocate for policy reform. The American Jewish Congress established the Jack Berman Advocacy Center to combat gun violence.

In the wake of the attack, Pettit & Martin struggled and eventually dissolved in 1995, as partners left the firm in the aftermath of the tragedy.

A Lasting Impact

The 101 California Street shooting was a turning point in discussions about gun control and violence in America, leading to the formation of new advocacy groups and influencing legislative changes, including the Violent Crime Control and Law Enforcement Act of 1994. Though the law expired a decade later, its legacy endures in ongoing debates over firearm regulation in the United States.

Sources

• The Bay Area's deadliest mass shootings
• Falling Down
• San Francisco Gunman's Rage Is Revealed in Four-page Letter
• Seeking Motive in the Killing of 8: Insane Ramblings Are Little Help
• 10 Years After: 101 California Massacre Victims Helped Toughen Gun Laws

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