Nine people were also injured in the slash-and-burn attack in the heart of the city. The perpetrator and his 41-year-old ex-colleague had long been involved in a dispute about harassment at the workplace, reported CNN, citing police sources. The men allegedly filed a lawsuit against each other in the run-up to the robbery.
According to new york’s mayor michael bloomberg, tater jeffrey johnson dies. Police initially listed his age as 53, but later revised it to 58. According to the police, the man was fired from the import company a year ago after a dispute. As CNN reported, he was reportedly dressed in a suit and walking to his old workplace with a briefcase under his arm at about 9 a.M. (local time) friday morning. There was more ammunition for the gun in the bag.
According to bloomberg, in addition to the two fatalities, two women and seven men were hit by bullets. "It doesn’t look like any of them died," bloomberg said. He did not rule out the possibility that the injured were also shot by the police. "Some may have been accidentally hit". The victims were spread out over two hospitals in manhattan.
The mayor praised the behavior of a construction worker and several police officers as an "act of heroism". Their courageous actions may have prevented more bloodshed. According to police chief raymond kelly, a construction worker had followed the gunman after the previously fired man shot an ex-colleague on the street. Construction worker understood police officers outside empire state building trying to stop gunman. When the perpetrator pointed his gun at an officer, other police officers gunned him down. He died in front of the building, which is visited by four million tourists each year, according to investigators.
According to initial investigations by the police, the shooter had not previously been involved in any criminal offences. He had lost his job at the import company hazan imports as part of a downsizing process. According to new york’s police chief raymond kelly, the company deals in women’s underwear.
Tourists who had lined up to climb the tower in front of the empire state building on a sunny friday morning scattered, looking for shelter. Eyewitnesses described a situation "like in the wild west. According to CBS, some of the injured were found in the lobby of the skyscraper, others on the street.
A new yorker who works near the empire state building told a CNN reporter that he heard at least nine gunshots. "We were all startled in the office," the man said. Several streets around the building, located at 5th avenue and 34th street, were widely cordoned off by police. An eyewitness told CNN that the perpetrator was carrying a "crude firearm".
Other witnesses also described chaotic scenes: "i was sabbing and hoarding three shots and saw people running away from the empire state building up park avenue," one woman told the network CBS. 10 to 15 shots have been fired. Police arrived at the scene around 9 a.M. (local time), CNN reported.
The empire state building is one of new york’s most famous landmarks. It is the most visited building in the world after the eiffel tower in paris, with about 3.5 million visitors a year. When it was completed in 1931, it was also the world’s tallest building, at 102 stories and 381 meters.
Just two weeks ago, a man was shot near times square, another tourist destination in the city. Police officers approached man as he smoked a joint. He fled, with officers in pursuit. When he threatened to throw a cake knife at a police officer a few blocks away, he was struck down by the officer’s colleague and died on the spot.