Fatal shooting on New York street

Saturday 25 August 2012

A GUNMAN wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase shot dead a former colleague outside New York's Empire State Building before being killed by police.

SCENE OF CHAOS: Officers approach a body on the pavement outside the Empire State Building in New York, where a gunman shot a former colleague dead before being killed by police. Nine members of the public were also injured. Picture: Guillermo Ratzlaff/AP

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Nine bystanders were hit by gunfire in the confrontation, but police said all were expected to survive.

The shooting yesterday set off chaos around one of the world's best-known landmarks at the height of the summer travel season and just after the morning rush hour.

Police on their regular anti-terrorism duties in the tourist shopping area rushed to the scene."People were yelling 'Get down! Get down!'" said Marc Engel, who was on a bus in the area when he heard the shots. "It took about 15 seconds, a lot of 'pop, pop, pop, pop,' one shot after the other."New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg said some victims may have been hit by police bullets as officers confronted the gunman."This was a terrible tragedy," he said. "We are not immune to the national problem of gun violence."Police identified the gunman as Jeffrey Johnson, 58, a former designer of women's accessories who was laid off last year. They had little details yet about his background, including whether he had any criminal record.Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said Johnson fired at former colleague Steven Ercolino three times at close range on the pavement. The two had traded accusations of harassment when Johnson worked at Hazan Import Corp.Little was immediately known about Mr Ercolino. A man who answered the phone at his home said he was too distraught to talk."He was a good son, that's all I can say," said the man.Johnson walked away after shooting Mr Ercolino, but a construction worker who saw the encounter followed him and alerted police, officials said.Surveillance footage showed Johnson reaching into a bag, pulling out a .45-calibre pistol and pointing it at officers, Mr Kelly said. The officers started firing, killing him, he added.Mr Kelly at first said Johnson fired on officers, but police later said they were trying to determine whether this was the case. The two officers fired a total of 14 rounds, he said. He said authorities believe police may be responsible for some of the nine injuries because of the limited capacity of Johnson's weapon. Police scoured the scene for bullets as the immediate scene remained closed off.

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Fatal shooting on New York street

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