California workplace shooting: Car sought in manhunt is found

October 5, 2011 | 10:55 am

Authorities say they have found a car abandoned by the suspect in the Cupertino, Calif., workplace shooting as a manhunt continues for Shareef Allman, 49, identified as the man who killed two people and wounded six others.

The suspect was seen driving a Brown Mercury Cougar, but police communications officers reported that officers have found the vehicle and Allman was no longer with it.

A manhunt was going on for the suspect Wednesday morning in Cupertino, where schools were closed and police were searching door-to-door.

The first shootings took place at a 4 a.m. safety meeting at the Lehigh Southwest Cement Co. in the hills above Cupertino.

Later, authorities said, the suspect attempted to steal a woman’s car, then shot her. She was taken to a hospital, where her condition was not immediately known.

Allman, 49, apparently runs a self-publishing business and has published a novel about domestic violence.

And in a video on Youtube, which has now been taken down, an individual identified as Shareef Allman can be seen interviewing the Rev. Jesse Jackson on a San Jose community cable TV station.

And a Shareef Allman is listed in voter registration records as living in San Jose.

Facebook lists a user named Shareef Allman, featuring a photo of the cover of a novel written by Allman titled “Amazing Grace.” He gives his occupation as “miner.”

On a promotional website, a blurb for the novel states, “Many have asked him what made him decide to write a book that addressed domestic violence. His response was this ... 'I wanted to change, not only the mindset of abusive men, but to also change the mindset of their victims.'"

In March 2000, an individual named Shareef Allman appeared along with other black and Latino activists at a San Jose town hall meeting, organized by advocates against racial profiling by police.

At the meeting, the man told the San Jose Mercury News he was harassed in a parking lot at De Anza College in Cupertino, accused by a police officer of being a drug dealer on a day when he wore a lot of jewelry and a sweat shirt.

-- Sam Quinones

twitter.com/samquinones7

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