California: Another Fatal Attraction

For nearly four years Richard Farley, 39, a computer software technician in California’s Silicon Valley, had failed to win the affection of Laura Black, 26, a fellow worker at ESL, an electronics firm in Sunnyvale. But he got her involuntary attention by following and harassing her. In 1986 he reportedly was fired from the company after threatening to kill her. Three weeks ago, Black asked a court to order him to stay away from her, and a temporary injunction was granted. Said Black in her complaint: “I have been afraid of what this man might do to me if I filed this action.”

With good reason. Last week, police said, Farley, carrying a rifle, two shotguns and four handguns, blasted his way through a locked door at ESL. He fired furiously at employees, killing seven and injuring four others, before surrendering to a police SWAT team. Black was seriously wounded. The next day Family Court Commissioner Lois Kittle symbolically made the injunction . permanent, while explaining through tears, “Pieces of paper do not stop bullets.”