CUPERTINO, California – Authorities have begun a manhunt for the suspect who allegedly opened fire at a California limestone quarry Wednesday, killing three and wounding six, before possibly wounding another woman in an attempted carjacking, authorities said. Police consider him armed and dangerous.
Authorities are seeking Shareef Allman, a heavy equipment operator at Lehigh Southwest Cement Permanente Plant, who allegedly ran from the shooting scene in Cupertino.
Allman, 47, was described by police as a disgruntled employee who was at a routine safety meeting at the quarry at about 4:30 a.m. He grew angry and left, sheriff's Lt. Rick Sung said. He 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 seized four weapons believed to belong to the suspect, Smith said.
People who knew Allman appeared dismayed over the allegations. He produced a TV show called “Real 2 Real” in San Jose and spread the word of non-violence, The Mercury News reported. The report said he also wrote a book that empowered women against domestic violence.
Around 7 a.m., authorities received an emergency services 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.
"The challenges are the big geographical area," she said. "The challenges are that he's armed."
He allegedly 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 alleged carjacking victim was listed in fair condition at a local hospital, according to the hospital spokeswoman.
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