GUNMAN ON RAMPAGE IN NEW YORK KILLS 13, SHOOTS HIMSELF.
Identified by the police as Jiverly Voong
(also known as Linh Phat Voong), a man went to American Civic Association at Binghamton in New York state, barricaded the back door, then went inside through the front door, then started his shooting rampage commencing with two receptionists at the desk.
Voong is around 40 years of age, a resident of nearby Johnson city, lost his job with IBM recently.
The centre situated at 131 Front Street, where the incident took place is for immigrants and refugees, who get help, suggestions, counseling on resettlement, citizenship, family reunification and also translation facilities here.
The matter was known to the authority when at 10-31 A.M. they received a 911 call from one of the receptionists of the centre informing that she had been shot in the stomach by a man. The single storey building’s back door was secured by the man from outside jamming it with his car. After shooting both receptionists, he proceeded to the nearest class room, and killed more people. Shooting was done before the police reached the spot, the police removed 14 dead bodies in all and 37 survivors, informed police chief Joseph Zikuski in a news conference. The gunman killed himself by shooting his head in the end.
The motive of the killings, especially at this centre, is not yet known. Investigation is going on, and search warrant has been issued for his residence with the intention of getting some proof. The police, however, suspects that he had link with this centre on some matters. Officers connected with the investigation contacted with Voong’s mother at home. The local Representative Maurice Hinchey informed the media that the gunman is possibly from Vietnam and the car he used is registered in his father’s name.
People who were trapped inside were taken shelter in the boiler room and cupboards. The whole incident continued for over four hours from 10-30 A.M. to 2-40 P.M. on fridat, 3rd April.
This is the 6th largest tragic incident of rampage shooting in the United States. The deadliest one was at Virginia Tech, a University in Blacksburg, Virginia on April 16th, 2007.
Binghamton is a town of 145,000 people about 150 miles north east of New York city.
Pakistan Taliban Chief Baitullah Mehsud claimed the responsibility of this shooting, which has been reported by Geo TV of Pakistan.