NEW YORK—A gunman shot one person then opened fire near the Empire State Building at at 9:03 a.m. Friday, before police shot and killed him. Nine other people were injured.
“This is a terrible tragedy and there is no doubt the situation would have been even more tragic but for some extraordinary acts of heroism,” Mayor Michael Bloomberg said from a press conference on Friday.
The suspected shooter, Jeffery Johnson, 53, was laid off from his job at Hazan Imports a year ago during a downsizing at the company. On Friday, he allegedly returned to the store at 10 W 33rd Street, shooting his former employer at close range. The information regarding the victim has not been released pending notification of the family.
The gunman then walked eastbound on 33rd St. toward 5th Ave. A construction worker, who saw the incident, followed close behind and alerted police who were posted outside the Empire State Building for counterterrorism measures. The police confronted Johnson who allegedly pulled out his .45 caliber pistol and began firing on the officers. The officers returned fire, killing Johnson.
The Mayor said “some may have been shot accidentally by police officers who responded immediately and while confronting the suspect and fatally shooting him, unfortunately there may have been other victims as well. All of those are not seriously wounded and there is no expectation any of them will do anything other than recover quickly.”
Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said of the nine who were wounded in the exchange, six went to Bellevue Hospital, and three went to Presbyterian. Commissioner Kelly did not give specifics regarding the injured victims, other than there were no children or elderly involved.
The area in and around The Empire State Building remains an active crime scene. 5th Avenue is closed just below 42nd street to 33rd street. 33rd street is closed to Madison Avenue and Avenue of the Americas. 34th street is closed between 7th and Madison Avenue.
The FBI was on scene, but the Mayor stressed this was not believed to be an act of terrorism.
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