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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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Banning guns is about as useful as braces on false teeth.
Thats a bad situation to be in for the cops, you have to make a choice if this guy is shooting at you. "Defend yourself and possibly endanger other people or get shot" i would not want to have to make that decision. you shouldnt judge unless you have been in the same situation. Either way its a tradgedy
it call stupid cop
The article says he wasn't shooting at the police, that he was running.
"Serve and protect". The question is who do you serve and who do you protect? Every man woman and child for themselves. Is shooting an innocent person justification for shooting another person that may or may not shoot someone else?
It's not about gun control laws or the 2nd amendment.. It's about mindless/uneducated folks with no respect for others lives and a lawful sociiety.. EDUCATION is the key Americans.. Even the 3rd world countries dont have such problem and hell, they live in slums but aren't afraid of getting shot jsut randomly.. We have everything a country has to offer but look where we are?? Fix: Put every f*in street rapper and bum in school and make them study.. study hard.. Knowledge is your only hope.
This is truly the only effective approach. Unfortunately, only new laws will be made. The core of the problem will never be addressed.
i agree. What i think is funny is they can not blame this on video games or way of life because of his age. So what are they going to blame now.
So it's the street rappers and bums who are doing all the killing? The shooter in Aurora, Co was in a PhD program in neuroscience. Other reports say this guy in NY was a jewelry designer. Maybe it's you who needs to go back to school.
Yep..and yet 95% of the folks commenting here talk abt. laws.. If we can't get the ppl reading CNN to understand this, how do we get that misgruntled kid on the street to understand..This is truly sad, Americans.
@Phil.. Please for gods sake do not make an attempt to reply..You ob do not understand the POINT im making here..you are so hung up on the two words I wrote there to make an example.
Nine people were wounded or grazed in the crossfire, Kelly said. Thanks to the shooter, he did not fire a single shot while he was running, How many shots these 2 cops shooting, Oh NO, These cops are hero now....
Nanny Bloomberg’s “safe city” in action, with the toughest gun laws in the nation..Why can't liberal's understand the very simple notion that criminals do not obey Gun laws.
These criminals WEREN'T CRIMINALS you dolt! They were supposedly law abiding citizens who only BECAME CRIMINALS when they slaughtered innocent people ! It's not street gangs going into office buildings, temples and steel mills opening fire on innocents, it's Joe Q Public with a LEGALLY obtained weapon who is able to USE A GUN to kill MANY people REALLY FAST.
This is a massive problem; I'm a gun owner who is ex-military and I can tell you that the thought of 99% of our population owning a gun, without proper training, without the common sense of a gnat and with drug problems, alcohol issues, wide beaters etc... THAT is what scares me more than any Terrorist....
Why? Because conservatives can't stand that a black man is Potus? So it is ok to use those guns they love so much to settle conflict? It wasn't Obama's policies that caused the man to lose his job. It's the big business mentality that the bottom line comes first and if we lay off or fire enough people, profits will increase and the CEO will get a multi-million dollar bonus. That's conservative values, money comes first...the welfare of the ordinary worker isn't even on their radar.
What probably happened was he did not have a job and very much cash to support himself got crazy by not having anything to do figured that was the only way to go nothing more to look forward to we need jobs and fast jobs jobs jobs
I'd also bet this was the situation. People are at their wits-end with this economy. We need to fix it before this becomes a trend.
Looks like not only do we need to take guns away from idiot criminals – we need to take them away from idiot cops too.
Well said, but NO They call them heroes
Let's see how the leftist do-gooders turn this thing into an "opportunity".
It is a very sad news that we live with people around us and we do not know whose intention is what...
Its so scary... where are those times when people feels so peace and tranquality....
Poverty is the most dengerous in the society....
O our Lord, please help us all whatever the way we need to be helped...
Lord cannot help us but big brother can.
Right. Everything will be magically OK when Romney gets in. Uh huh. And everything was just peaches and cream before Obama took office in January 2009.
You team zombies make me laugh.
More fallout from Obama's failed economic recovery plan. Thanks again, Barry!!!
Yep time for Bloomburg to open his mouth with another ignorant statement...
Hey maybe he will say lets ban bullets so that guns are useless! Or maybe red meat caused the shooter to go crazy since the shooter ate red meat. Or how about the shooter drank water so water MUST be a link to people committing crime since all criminals drink water.......
This is what you anti-gun people sound like!
Someone forgot to take their chlorpromazine. Which WELL REGULATED militia are you in?
Amen. NYC already has some of the strictest anti-gun laws around. It would have been nice if some of this guy's victims could have carried a weapon with a conceal carry permit to defend themselves.
According to US law every male between 18-45 and every female in the Armed Forces is part of the militia. Exceptions are made for convicted felons and the like.
Immediately had your exact same thought. Bloomturd is going to make some new idiotic statement. What needs to be banned is the Mayor. When does he leave office? Not soon enough for N.Y.C. Oh, for the days of Guilliani.
How different and wonderful life was when I was working at 42nd and Lexington in the 60's.
"Some may have been accidentally shot by police officers," Kelly said.
See, only police should have guns......FAIL
8 rounds and 3 where shot into one victim leaving 5. how you get 8 other people with 5 bullets is beyond me. Would have like to get that training when i was still in the military. 17 casings at the end of the run this man made. yeah i agree police messed up on this one.
Lol I like how the Empire State re-opened an hour later (business as usual).