All 9 Empire State victims were wounded by police

[EllieArroway]

www.cnn.com/2012/08/25/justice/new-york-empire-state-shooting/

New York (CNN) -- All nine people injured in Friday's shooting in front of the Empire State Building were wounded by police gunfire, New York Police Commissioner Ray Kelly told reporters Saturday.

The officers unloaded a total of 16 rounds at a disgruntled former apparel designer, killing him after he shot and killed a co-worker and engaged in a gunbattle with police, authorities have said.

Police said an investigation is under way after one officer shot nine rounds and another shot seven. Three victims suffered gunshot wounds, while the remaining six were hit by fragments.

Police identified the gunman as Jeffrey Johnson, 58, who was apparently laid off from his job as a designer of women's accessories at Hazan Import Co. last year.

Johnson, who served in the U.S. Coast Guard in the mid-1970s, had two rounds left in his .45-caliber pistol. It holds eight, Kelly said.

Police identified the slain victim as Steven Ercolino, 41, who had apparently filed a prior complaint against his assailant saying he thought Johnson would try to kill him.

Both men had filed harassment complaints against each other in April 2011, Kelly added.

Ercolino was listed as a vice president of sales at Hazan Import Corp., according to his LinkedIn profile.

"It's not something that should happen to a loving person like that," his brother Paul Ercolino told CNN on Friday night. "He's going to be so missed by everybody. He was a light of so many lives."

Ercolino's longstanding dispute with the gunman "apparently centered on the fact that Ercolino was not selling -- at least in Johnson's opinion -- as much of his product ... as he wanted him to," Kelly said.

The suspect lost his job last year at Hazan "as a result of downsizing" but continued to return to the company regularly, having "a confrontation with Ercolino virtually every time he went back."

The violence erupted Friday morning just as visitors began to queue up to ascend the famous New York skyscraper in one of Manhattan's busiest neighborhoods.

Kelly had said the bystanders were not hit directly by police, but rather the officers' struck "flowerpots and other objects around, so ... their bullets fragmented and, in essence, that's what caused the wounds."

Six of the wounded were treated and released at hospitals by Friday evening, while three others remained hospitalized, he added.

One of those wounded, Erica Solar, was on her way to get a cup of coffee at Dunkin' Donuts when a bullet tore through the back of her leg, her brother said. The Manhattan receptionist is being treated at the city's Bellevue Hospital.

Experts: Empire State Building shooting won't keep tourists away
Robert Asika, a 23-year-old city tour guide, was on his way to work when he got caught in the crossfire.

"When I turned around, I saw a guy reach in his suit and he pulled out a gun," he told CNN affiliate WCBS-TV. "I guess he shot at the police officer. And the police officer shot him. And one of them shot me in the arm, and I fell."

Witnesses recount chaotic, unsettling scene

On Friday, Johnson was wearing a business suit and carrying a briefcase as he waited for Ercolino outside his business on West 33rd Street. When Ercolino appeared, "Without any conversation, he shot him once in the head and then shot him in the torso," the police commissioner said.

Johnson then walked east, before eventually turning north. A construction worker was among those who dashed after the gunman after the initial gunshots. Eventually, the worker alerted two police officers in front of the Empire State Building that the suspect "just killed a man around the corner," Kelly said.
The police commissioner said the suspect pulled his gun out of his briefcase as the officers approached, pointing at them. The officers then fatally shot Johnson.

A brief surveillance video released Friday night by police shows the man walking behind a large planter on a busy street. He appears to point something as two officers approach, coming to within a few feet of him. Then, as bystanders run in all directions, the man falls abruptly to the ground after apparently being shot.
Another video shot by an Australian tourist offered a street-level glimpse of the shooting's immediate aftermath, revealing frightened onlookers and gun-wielding cops.

At least two police officers appear in the video with their guns drawn over a man who is lying on his back. The man appears to be alive, with his hands partly outstretched.

The camera then pans to others who are apparently injured as pedestrians duck behind buildings on Manhattan's Fifth Avenue.
Witnesses said police shot Johnson at least three times.

"I heard the gunshots," said Anika Basu, who was on a bus near the building when the shooting happened. "I looked toward the left and saw three people fall. ... The whole entire crosswalk emptied and people were running.

"We didn't realize if it was an actual gunshot or what," she said.
"It's just a crazy scene here," added Rebecca Fox, who works across the street from the Empire State Building. She had been getting coffee and had her headphones on when she saw people running.

"When I walked across the street, I saw a woman who had been shot in the foot. And she was just in shock, sitting there," Fox said. "I looked down, I saw another man had been (lying) on the ground, and he wasn't moving."

One witness -- 22-year-old Max Kaplan -- said he heard at least nine shots and saw ambulances race to the scene.

"We're all very shaken up at the office," he said.
Aaron Herman, a CNN iReporter, painted a portrait of confusion.

"It was a little chaotic. Police had barricaded the area, and I saw one woman who was a victim. I think she had been grazed," he said. "Some said they heard around three 'pops' and ran into nearby local stores to be safe."

Authorities initially reported that nine people were wounded but later revised that number to eight. Then on Friday night, Kelly said nine bystanders were wounded.

Police say Johnson used a semiautomatic handgun and was carrying extra ammunition in his briefcase. He purchased the weapon legally in 1991 in Florida but did not have a permit to carry it in New York City.

The former Manhattan resident did not appear to have had a criminal record, but authorities were still checking, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.

Johnson's neighbor, Gisela Casella, described him as a quiet animal lover whose death left her "shocked."

"He was the nicest guy. He must have snapped or something. I don't know," she said.

His landlord, Guillermo Suarez, said he lived alone and that he'd seen Johnson leave the building around 8 a.m. in a suit.

By around 9 a.m., the shootings had prompted local and federal authorities to close several streets around Fifth Avenue and West 34th Street, snarling traffic in the heart of Manhattan.

President Barack Obama learned about the incident around 9:30 a.m. from top aides, the White House said. The shooting did not appear to be linked to terrorism, authorities said.

What to know about Empire State Building

The Empire State Building is one of the most famous skyscrapers in the world and one of New York'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.

The area also typically has a large security presence.

"There's always a focus and concentration on the building," retired police officer Lou Palumbo said. "That building gets special attention."

[y4m]

Omg

[dev22]

Holy shit

[ttt]

That's awful, but I'm not sure how it could really have been avoided. What could they have done differently? They can't just let the guy keep shooting at people on the street until everyone gets out of the way. I feel awful for the cops who fired those shots and who know that they hit innocent bystanders.

[laurenpetro]

I know my ass will get handed to me but lately they haven't been great shots. There was a shooting in NY (way uptown, i think in harlem) about 6 months ago or so where the cops shot off over 40 rounds and didn't kill the guy. My next door neighbor works in that precinct and would have been there if it had gone off a couple of hours earlier. He said they got their asses handed to them. The officers involved had to recertify because it was such bad aim.

I'm not casting stones here since I couldn't hit the broad side of a barn but this is bad.

[basilosaurus]

If everyone had guns this wouldn't happen. Isn't that what I'm supposed to say when there's a shooting?

[emisi]

Apparently NYC cops aren't required to spend a lot of time at the range. Maybe they should rethink that policy.

[copzgirl1171]

I need to digest this before I can rationally respond. Wow.

[laurenpetro]

Copz, I swear I wasn't cop bashing. If my neighbor hadn't said it himself I never would have given it a second thought and would have chalked it up to being a 'heat of the moment you never know' kind of a thing.

[llama]

It's terrible that these people got hit but ultimately I have no issue with cops doing their jobs in this scenario and doing a pretty damn good job taking out a real threat in a crowded place.

I do think, however, that this is a perfect example of why a bunch of regular civilians carrying guns around with them in public places is NOT going to help diffuse a situation like this one. How many of those people are a better shot than the cops? A couple of cops *working together* did their best in this scenario and still injured people, but we think a bunch of armed, non-coordinating civilians are doing to do a better, more efficient job of taking out a shooter? I find that very difficult to believe.

[copzgirl1171]

Oh, I know lauren

I hate that I am chewing around the words over kill right now and I really want to shake that before I respond further.

[marie427]

I hate that bystanders were hurt but luckily, they are all alive and will recover and I haven't seen anything that makes me think the cops were bad shots. In less than 20 shots between two cops (which I've read is not a high number for a crazy situation like this), the killer and ONLY the killer was killed by the cops. He aimed his gun at them and they responded appropriately,IMO. And if you've ever been in that area at 9:00 am on a weekday, you'll realize it's a damn near miracle that more bystanders weren't hurt.

[copzgirl1171]

How odd is it that this is my line of work and I am the one cocking my head sideways . I also love knowing that you guys are so supportive of this. Thank you.

[MixedBerryJam]

The lunatic opened fire in the middle of the city; I don't see how the police could have avoided returning fire. How many of the shots, I wonder, were direct hits as opposed to being ricocheted off of buildings? I am inclined to think that the environment contributed far more to the collateral damage than the marksmanship skills of the police.

[ttt]

Whoops, wrong thread!

[basilosaurus]

Aug 25, 2012 17:13:31 GMT -5 llama said:

I do think, however, that this is a perfect example of why a bunch of regular civilians carrying guns around with them in public places is NOT going to help diffuse a situation like this one. How many of those people are a better shot than the cops? A couple of cops *working together* did their best in this scenario and still injured people, but we think a bunch of armed, non-coordinating civilians are doing to do a better, more efficient job of taking out a shooter? I find that very difficult to believe.

Thank you for putting into words what my tired brain thought but couldn't articulate.

[SusanBAnthony]

Aug 25, 2012 18:18:13 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

Aug 25, 2012 17:13:31 GMT -5 llama said:

I do think, however, that this is a perfect example of why a bunch of regular civilians carrying guns around with them in public places is NOT going to help diffuse a situation like this one. How many of those people are a better shot than the cops? A couple of cops *working together* did their best in this scenario and still injured people, but we think a bunch of armed, non-coordinating civilians are doing to do a better, more efficient job of taking out a shooter? I find that very difficult to believe.

Thank you for putting into words what my tired brain thought but couldn't articulate.

Ditto.

Also. I know everyone said 20 shots wasn't a lot, but it actually seems like a lot to me (someone who hasn't shot a gun since girl scout camp so I am no expert). I don't remember if the article said how far the police were from the shooter, but I guess I would have thought that was overkill in terms of the number of shots.

[MixedBerryJam]

Aug 25, 2012 18:18:13 GMT -5 basilosaurus said:

Aug 25, 2012 17:13:31 GMT -5 llama said:

I do think, however, that this is a perfect example of why a bunch of regular civilians carrying guns around with them in public places is NOT going to help diffuse a situation like this one. How many of those people are a better shot than the cops? A couple of cops *working together* did their best in this scenario and still injured people, but we think a bunch of armed, non-coordinating civilians are doing to do a better, more efficient job of taking out a shooter? I find that very difficult to believe.

Thank you for putting into words what my tired brain thought but couldn't articulate.

I'm hopping on this train, too. I wish I were articulate. Was articulate? See what I mean?

[Nonny]

susanbanthony said:

Also. I know everyone said 20 shots wasn't a lot, but it actually seems like a lot to me (someone who hasn't shot a gun since girl scout camp so I am no expert). I don't remember if the article said how far the police were from the shooter, but I guess I would have thought that was overkill in terms of the number of shots.

It's really not. I'm assuming* cops in NYC carry 9mm hand guns, and a clip is what, 15 bullets? If only 20 shots were fired then it means probably neither of them emptied their clips, which is actually pretty impressive. In high intensity situations you'll usually see all the clips emptied because it's a reactionary response to keep firing until you can't fire anymore.

I think it's a shocking thing to hear all the injured people were only injured by cops when the shooter's count is one dead, and police count is one dead shooter and nine injured bystanders. But once you kind of absorb how busy the area is (which I wasn't really aware of until this thread) and how few shots were actually fired, it's not as awful as it seems on first glance.

*This is an assumption I make off my dad's service weapon, but he retired a decade+ ago.

[marie427]

Exactly, Nonny. Plus, let's not forget that the cops had no clue about motive when they met up with Johnson. They didn't know if he was shooting at random or if he targeted his victim. Couple that with a location that is always on the radar of law enforcement mostly for reasons related to terrorism, and I can't see a reason why these cops wouldn't have handled this situation any differently.

[gpw]

it seems all is well here, so I shall keep most of my .02

Also, even considering all the firearm training police receive, these situations are high pressure and high tension. There isn't time to slowing take aim and fire. Nor, as someone else pointed out, are they trained as snipers.