At trial over shooting, UPS and Allied deflect blame

SAN FRANCISCO (CN) — Allied Universal repeatedly advised UPS to beef up security at its San Francisco package center in the months leading up to a deadly shooting in 2017, a senior employee for the firm said Thursday, parrying accusations his company failed to prevent veteran driver Jimmy Lam from entering the facility with a gun he used to kill three co-workers and wound two others.

Christian Arno, a regional vice president for Allied, told jurors tasked with determining whether his employer and UPS should be held civilly liable for the tragedy that in a bid to cut corners, UPS consistently rebuffed its recommendations for more radios, more guards, more cameras and higher wages for security officers prior to the shooting.

“Each time the recommendations were declined,” he said. “But they implemented every one of our recommendations after the shooting.”

On the morning of June 14, 2017, Lam — a driver who had worked for the company for 18 years — breezed through the metal detector with a backpack loaded with two guns and ammunition, walked up to a third-floor meeting and shot co-workers Benson Louie, 50, and Wayne Chan, 56.

He then walked outside and shot driver Mike Lefiti, 46, a total of 17 times. He also wounded Edgar Perez and Alvin Chen. He fatally shot himself in the head as police arrived at the scene.

Arno said that throughout the duration of Allied’s contract, which ended shortly after the incident, UPS focused singularly on loss prevention.

“Their position was that we were providing all the security that they could afford so that was good enough,” he said. “Every time we would make a recommendation, their response would be ‘we don’t have the budget.’”

Surveillance footage from the morning of the shooting showed a guard sitting next to the metal detector at the entrance Lam used, yawning and looking at his phone. The guard, Stiver Bushgjokaj, said his orders were only to check employees’ bags when they left the building since the facility had a significant problem with internal theft.

Bushgjokaj, who had been trained by UPS security supervisor Thomas Nichols, said he was only to check employee IDs on entry. “They had a lot of theft, a lot of electronic stuff was missing, so he [Nichols] asked us to check bags when employees were leaving. If someone refused to show ID, I was to observe and report and to let Mr. Nichols deal with it. My job was just to let him know.”

The extent of Allied’s post orders has been a contentious focal point in the trial, with both companies attempting to shift blame onto the other for security lapses that allowed Lam to smuggle guns into the workplace.

A crude sign posted in the building instructed employees to show identification on entry, clear the metal detector, and show their bags for inspection on entering and exiting. Both Arno and Bushgjokaj denied these were the official post orders, while UPS has maintained that San Francisco was a “clean in/clean out” facility, meaning the guards were supposed to check everyone’s bags as they both came and went.

Arno said that after the shooting, UPS held a meeting with Allied higher-ups and told them that while they did not blame the security firm for what happened, they were terminating the contract.

“It was my impression from the meeting that they did not blame us for the shooting but that they had to terminate the contract not because of any wrongdoing but their own internal employee impressions. They felt it was an optics issue,” he said.

But J. Kevin Morrison, an attorney representing the victims’ families, zeroed in on Allied’s culpability as he grilled Arno on cross.

“Allied knows that unfortunately mass shootings happen at workplaces?” he asked.

“True,” Arno said.

Morrison followed up: “Allied’s core business is security?” To which Arno replied, “We have several different business functions. Security is one of them.”

Morrison pressed further. “You held yourself out at the time as Allied being an expert in security?”

Arno answered, “Yes."

Morrison then asked whether Arno wanted Allied to win the trial.

“I’m uncomfortable with the word ‘win.’ It’s not a ‘win.’ This is a tragic thing that occurred. No one wins,” Arno said.

Morrison doubled down. “Isn’t it true that Allied’s single purpose is to keep people, businesses, and communities safe?” he asked.

“I think that’s incorporated in our mission statement,” Arno answered, then added, “You can’t protect against all things. A mass shooter running in, we’re not equipped against something like that.”

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