Man kills three at staff safety meeting

CUPERTINO, Calif. – The search for a disgruntled employee accused of killing three co-workers and injuring six others at a Northern California limestone quarry brought SWAT teams in armored vehicles to the normally quiet streets of Silicon Valley on Wednesday.

The hunt for Shareef Allman of San Jose, Calif., began after authorities said he opened fire at a routine safety meeting at Permanente Quarry around 4:15 a.m. and later wounded a woman in a failed carjacking.

Schools were closed or on lockdown in Cupertino, home of Apple Inc., and in neighboring communities as authorities went door to door with guns drawn and residents were warned to stay indoors.

Allman became upset and left the meeting then returned with a handgun and rifle and started shooting people, Santa Clara County sheriff’s Lt. Rick Sung said. About 15 workers were at the meeting during the shooting, which authorities said lasted about two minutes.

Sheriff Laurie Smith released the names of the dead Wednesday evening as Manuel Pinon, 48, of Newman, Calif., and John Vallejos, 51, and Mark Munoz, 59, both of San Jose.

“We still believe the suspect is armed and dangerous,” Smith said. “How dangerous is he? He murdered three people today.”