Gray said Shareef Allman, 47, whom officials identified as the
suspected gunman, used to come into his boxing club almost every day
about four years ago. Sometimes, he would bring his daughter and the
two would train. He said Allman was a respectable man who would try to
get children off the streets and into Gray’s boxing gym, which serves
at-risk youth.

"He was a supportive type of person in the community," he said of
Allman, who he said could always be spotted at San Jose’s annual jazz
festival. Allman stopped coming around when Gray switched gym
locations, and he said he hasn’t seen him for about a year.

When Gray heard about the shooting suspect, he said he was shocked. "I
was like come on, no, not Shareef," he said, adding that Allman was
not a "monster."

Lavella Benton, 52, said Allman, who for a time wanted to be a
comedian, "was a voice for young black men in the community."

"He spoke against violence," she said. "His show was against violence.
I'm in shock."

Benton said she has known Allman since she moved to San Jose 30 years
ago. He was studying cosmetology and doing hair with one of Benton's
girlfriends and the three of them clicked.

"He didn't drink, he didn't do drugs. He was a mentor to my boys, who
are now 29 and 32," said Benton, who left her phone number with Santa
Clara County sheriff's officials in the hope she could help urge
Allman to surrender.

Benton said she knew that Allman "was having problems on his job but I
didn't know how severe. This is not him. He snapped."

The suspected gunman is still at large.


Yup, he was a great guy who would never do this, until he did.

We need more guns everywhere, because there's the slightest chance
that events like this could be stopped. You betcha.

The more guns that are in people's hands, the higher the potential for
their use. Period.