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Police kill gunman in shooting outside Empire State Building
Read the full story and developments in the investigation on CNN.com. For local coverage, visit WPIX, WCBS and NY1.
Scroll down to catch up on the events as they unfolded.
[Updated at 3:19 p.m. ET] Two patients who were brought to New York-Presbyterian Hospital Friday have been discharged and one has been admitted, the hospital's public affairs office said in a statement.
The three people were brought to New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center Emergency Department as a result of a shooting outside the Empire State building shortly after 9 a.m., the hospital said.
Other victims were brought to Bellevue Hospital after the shooting, which police said left eight wounded and two dead, including the gunman.
Police initially said nine bystanders were wounded in an exchange of gunfire between shooter Jeffrey Johnson and police. That number was later revised to eight.
Police killed Johnson as he pulled a gun on them while trying to flee the scene where he fatally shot a former coworker, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.
The gunman apparently had a longstanding dispute with the victim over workplace harassment allegations, police said. Both men had filed prior complaints.
[Updated at 12:16 a.m. ET] New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg praised police and civilians for their quick response to a shooting outside the Empire State Building on Friday morning, which left two dead and nine injured.
"There is no doubt that the situation would've been even more tragic except for the extraordinary acts of heroism," Bloomberg said in a media conference. "New York City is the safest big city in this country but we are not immune to the national problem of gun violence."
Gunman Jeffrey Johnson, 53, killed one person before he was shot to death outside the busy tourist destination on 34th Street and Fifth Avenue in a chaotic scene just after 9 a.m., Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said. In addition to being home to a popular tourist destination in Midtown Manhattan, the area is also a busy commercial district.
"I saw people running and I didn't know what happened. I thought it was a celebrity spotting," said witness Rebecca Fox, who was on her way to work when the shootings broke out. "It was a very surreal scene."
Fast Facts: The Empire State Building
The victim was Johnson's former coworker at Hazan Imports, where Johnson was a designer of women's accessories until being laid off last year.
As Johnson attempted to flee the scene, a construction worker across the street alerted two police officers, who pursued him up West 33rd Street, Kelly said. As Johnson pulled out a .45 caliber pistol, the officers opened fire, killing Johnson. It was unclear if Johnson managed to shoot a round.
Nine others were wounded or grazed in the exchange of gunfire, Kelly said. They were taken to local hospitals where they are expected to recover.
"Some may have been accidentally shot by police officers," Kelly said.
Photos and messages from Twitter and other digital platforms that appear to be related to the shooting outside the Empire State Building are being collected by CNN.com social media producer Dorrine Mendoza on this Storify page. CNN editors are working to verify this information and will be updating throughout the day.
[Updated at 11:26 a.m. ET] A gunman fatally shot a former coworker in the head outside the Empire State Building Friday morning before he was killed by police officers, New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.
The suspect, 53-year-old Jeffrey Johnson, was a "disgruntled former employee" of a business near the Empire State Building, Kelly said. As he tried to flee the scene, a construction worker alerted two police officers, who pursued him down 33rd Street, Kelly said.
Johnson pulled a .45 caliber gun on the approaching police officers but it not clear if he actually shot any rounds as police opened fire on him, Kelly said.
Nine people were wounded or grazed in the crossfire, Kelly said.
"Some may have been accidentally shot by police officers," Kelly said.
[Updated at 11:08 a.m. ET] The Empire State Building is fully operational after ten people were shot outside the popular tourist destination this morning, leaving at least two dead.
Building representatives released a statement saying the New York Police Department is concluding its investigation that occurred shortly after 9 a.m.
[Updated at 11:08 a.m. ET] New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is expected to speak soon after a shooting outside the Empire State Building Friday morning left at least two dead, including the suspected gunman.
A witnessed said they saw a shooter with a "large gun"
[Updated at 10:40 a.m. ET] New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg is expected to speak at 11 a.m. after a shooting outside the Empire State Building Friday morning left at least two dead, including the suspected gunman.
Watch the news conference live on CNN TV, on CNN.com or on your CNN mobile app.
• There is no apparent link to terrorism, a law enforcement official said.
• Are you there? Share your story
• Police shot the suspect, whose body is still lying outside the building covered in a sheet, witnesses said.
• A woman was also killed in the shooting, which occurred as people were lining up to gain entry to the busy tourist destination on 34 Street and Fifth Avenue.
• An elevator worker from inside the Empire State Building ran outside and began chasing the alleged shooter, CNN producer Rose Arce said. At some point police, who were apparently inside the building, were alerted and chased and the alleged shooter.
• Photos and messages from Twitter and other digital platforms that appear to be related to the shooting outside the Empire State Building are being collected by CNN.com social media producer Dorrine Mendoza on this Storify page. CNN editors are working to verify this information and will be updating throughout the day.
[Updated at 10:33 a.m. ET] The body of the alleged shooter is lying outside the entrance to the Empire State Building after a shooting broke out Friday morning, leaving at least two dead, New York City officials said.
A woman was also killed in the shooting, which occurred as people were lining up to gain entry to the busy tourist destination.
An elevator worker from inside the Empire State Building ran outside and began chasing the alleged shooter, CNN producer Rose Arce said. At some point police, who were apparently inside the building, were alerted and chased and the alleged shooter.
Arce talked to several international tourists who were standing around. "They were completely stunned by what happened and were screaming," Arce reports.
[Updated at 10:17 a.m. ET] Ten people were shot outside the Empire State Building, leaving two dead, including the gunman, New York City officials said.
A witness told CNN she saw a man lying in the middle of the street surrounded by police.
"I saw blood on the sidewalk," Rebecca Fox said. "It was a very surreal scene."
[Updated at 10:09 a.m. ET] A suspect started shooting outside the Empire State Building this morning, killing at least one person, New York city officials say.
The suspect had a "large gun," a witness told CNN.
[Updated at 9:55 a.m. ET] - At least 10 people were shot Friday in front of the Empire State Building in New York Friday morning, the New York Office of Emergency Management said.
A suspect in the shooting was shot and killed by police, New York police said.
Authorities converged on the building around 9 a.m. after reports of gunfire.
A witness told CNN's Rose Arce that the gunman ran after and shot a man in the head. An unarmed guard chased the gunman away, the witness told Arce.
Police have closed several several streets around 5th Avenue and 34th Street in Manhattan.
New York resident Max Kaplan, 22, said he heard at least nine gunshots. He said several ambulances have arrived at the scene.
"We're all very shaken up at the office," he said.
The Empire State Building is one of the most famous skyscrapers in the world, and one of New York City's best-known tourist attractions.
Each year, about 4 million people visit the building's two observation decks. At more than 1,453 feet tall, the landmark building reaches more than a quarter-mile into the sky.
soundoff (3,090 Responses)
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If you start convicting these fools and bring back public executions, (executions that take place in a reasonable amount of time), some of these idiots will lose their taste for murder.
Perhaps in your thinking, but data (you know – that nasty stuff SCIENCE uses) does not seem to support that view. TX has the highest rate of capital punishment yet has a higher rate of gun murder than several states that have no capital punishment. How does this annoying fact mesh with your proposal ?
Again with your "annoying facts" Duke?
Texas has a lower crime rate than California, Michigan, Illinois, D.C. and all the other liberal bastions of gun control. The facts are that gun carry laws lower crime. Period.
The biggest factor of course is the one thing NO ONE will talk about. Demographics. Look at the cities and states with the highest crime and then look at the racial makeup of those states. Your eyes will be opened.
We should enact very strict gun laws just like they have in Norway. Then something like this would never happen??? It's hard to take away all the crazy from the crazy people.
Please tell me you are being sarcastic? You haven't forgotten the Norwegien who killed 77 people back in July of 2011, have you?
And Norway's strict policies really helped against the nut who shot all of those people last year.
Norwegian
Criminals are exempt from all laws. Have fun.
More guns!!! More guns!!! More guns!!!
Yes of course banning guns would eliminate random shootings. Just like laws against smoking marijuana have eliminated it from the planet's flora. And laws against speeding have eliminated automobiles traveling faster than 55 mph. We should implement bans on butter and margarine, and then subsequently butter knives, which would of course eliminate stabbings. Perhaps we should eliminate butchers while we are at it. Get real. We must have reasonable checks, tougher penalties, etc. And no matter what, if people are willing to die in order to inflict pain and death on others, they will, regardless of the laws we put in place. All we can do is make it harder.
if we ban nukes then maybe NK and iran will give them up lol
Exactly my point. The PEOPLE are the problem. The public execution idea is the best, with limited or no appeal. I bet that would deter criminals.
We can make these attacks harder by staying and/or alert moving out of the way.
This was a targeted attack and if you were not the target and were not anywhere nearby than why get scared?
Ban fear!
I could blame my typo on the computer like some people blame guns or I could correct it.
-–
We can make these attacks harder by staying alert and taking the appropriate action.
This was a targeted attack and if you were not the target and were not anywhere nearby than why get scared?
Ban fear!
What is our world coming too, its getting to be there's no safe place to leave your house. This is so sad.
Sorry Rebecca, but your house is not always the safe place to be either.
Live your life. Don't live in fear.
no....it's stupid Americans fault.
Yep, we must be so moronic, being the world superpower and all. Yes, Canadians are surely so much more intelligent than us!
That's becasue we got the world on our back. hard to think with all that dead weight.
you're a idiot. just thought i let you know
Stupid Americans? Go back to Canada JERK!!!!!!!!!
America worst democratic out try, India is better
Oh yes Canadian Hobo lets blame ALL of this on America. You are ridiculous! I could only hope you have done something for your country.....besides sit on your lazy butt and bad mouth America.
Hobo is was going to reply to your insult but I now see you are a Canadian, enough said.
I blame Canada.
Canada is on the North American continent so that would make you an "American " also! Same with the Mexicans.
Cry me a river. You guys have more hockey stick deaths per capita.
Umm didn't a Canadian just shoot up a mall recently?? And y'all gave up yer guns right, eh?
Come down here and call us stupid.
Go back to Tim Hortons...and your beaver stew.
As far as our gun laws are concerned, anyone not living or working here can keep their opinions to themselves. This is not the wide open prairie or the sprawling suburbs so what might apply to you has no bearing here. If everyone here was armed the incidence of accidental shootings would skyrocket. We have plenty of armed law enforcement personnel on hand to deal with the occasional nut and they are trained for an urban environment. On a per capita basis NYC is a pretty safe place.
I cant wait until we outlaw guns and the suicide vests show up. Nut jobs are nut jobs plain and simple.
Unfortunately there are times, as the saying goes, when seconds count the police are only minutes away.
Nobody should make claims that if everyone were armed some particular thing would happen. That is moronic.
With everyone armed there would at least be a chance to think for one's self and act accordingly.
As anyone can see, criminals are exempt from gun laws.
How will we defend against tyrannical governments and invading aliens unless keeping .50 machine guns and maybe portable atomic devices at home?
why even comment. the pro gun people will say we need more guns. the other side will say we need to control who gets guns more diligently. we are a dysfunctional society and can't seem to face up to our problems, and there is no doubt, we have a problem, folks...
The problem is the media. They propogate this idyllic image of the American Dream that depicts anyone not financially successful, as a failure. They then devote all their time to covering tragedies such as this, so that some of these nut jobs decide their lives are worthless but they can get their fifteen minutes of fame by going out on a rampage. The solution is to get rid of broadcast media and stop judging people by the bank account, or the car they drive.
In a truly free society one can choose whether or not to own a gun. Legally.
Criminals are always exempt.
Stop the fear and thing rationally for just a moment.
Typo. Change thing to think.
I could blame the computer for the typo or take responsibility and put the blame where it belongs.
The media is a problem. The shooter is a problem. The gun is a tool that has been misused.
What is that, like 100-some people shot in mass shootings in the past month? You'd think we were at war...
“They say that 'Guns don't kill people, people kill people.' Well I think the gun helps. If you just stood there and yelled BANG, I don't think you'd kill too many people.”
Exactly.
Sadly this is beyond grasp of the average right wing Neanderthal.
Becky, what you don't seem to understand, along with all of the other nanny-needing people, is that the person who wants to kill will kill with any means neccessary. The gun is just a tool. If we had no guns they would use something else to inflict harm. With your theory we should ban cars right? People do use cars to kill others. Even tougher regulation is not going to stop someone from killing.
The gun is a tool. When it is misused and you blame the gun you might as well say that the nutcase is innocent.
The people really ARE the problem. Any number of weapons could have been used.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/breaking/chi-shootings-chicago-violence-august-23-august-24-violence-gunfire-20120823,0,49779.story
What's happening in this country?
Its not the bullet its the hole that does the killing
Thanks dick, you're real funny.
It's the blood loss that causes the death. The murderer did the killing. The gun is just a tool.
In England they could use a knife, but dead is dead. Murder is banned, a lot of good that does.
Anyone else notice that today marks exactly 4,000 days since 9/11/01 ? Maybe just a coincidence, but It will be interesting to see if the media picks this up and runs with it...
Um, it's just a coincidence.
Love how this article about a shooting ends with the statistics of the Empire State Building size
The bigger the Empire State Building the safer it is because there is less chance that you would be the one hit.
Risk-management.