Posted on 04/03/2009 3:06:49 PM PDT by neverdem
(Binghamton, N.Y. / ABC News) -- As many as 13 people have been shot dead and wounded dozens in a shooting rampage inside an upstate New York civic association building that caters to immigrants, according to federal and state authorities.
The gunman, Jiverly Voong, allegedly held dozens of people hostage for several hours before shooting himself to death, police said.
According to multiple state law enforcement officials, the gunman entered the one-story American Civic Association in downtown Binghamton about 10 a.m. today and began his shooting spree.
A senior law enforcement official told ABC News that 13 people were shot dead and 26 were wounded.
Officials said Voong entered the civic association armed with two heavy caliber automatic pistols -- a 9 mm and a .45 caliber handgun. He carried a bag filled with high capacity magazines, a survival knife and a flashlight, according to police.
Voong backed his car up to the rear door of the building to block any escape before he went to the front of the building and started to execute people, police said.
Voong, 41, also known as Linh Phat Voong, was from Johnson City, N.Y. He allegedly burst into the civic center wearing a bright green nylon jacket and dark-rimmed glasses and promptly shot the receptionist dead and then killed two other people. He then headed for another room of the civic association and opened fire again.
When the carnage was over, Voong's body was found on first the floor with a hunting knife jammed into the waistband of his pants.
"He shot those people? No. No," said a woman who identified herself as Voong's sister, but would not give her name when reached by ABC News.com.
She said her brother went to take classes today at the civic association and that she had not heard from him since. She said she did not know that he was involved in the shooting.
"I'm going to pass out," she said and hung up the phone.
Police also contacted Voong's sister to say her brother was dead. She told police that Voong was attending language classes at the civic center. She said Voong is a U.S. citizen and has been in this country for 28 years.
Voong had recently been laid off from IBM in Johnson City, U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, a Democrat whose district includes Binghamton, told the Associated Press. The gunman opened fire on a citizenship class, he said.
"People were there in the process of being tested for their citizenship," Hinchey said. "It was in the middle of a test. He just went in and opened fire."
Several hours after the shooting began, hostages started exiting the building and police declared the gunman dead.
By 1:30 p.m., police began escorting people out of the building, but continued to treat the building as a crime scene where the shooter might still be lurking.
Eyewitness Account Eyewitness Nick Masucci, a community college student and Binghamton resident, said he watched as many as 20 people exit the building and get patted down by police.
"They look like immigrants, lots of different cultures coming out of there. Some people are getting patted down. The police are taking a lot of precautions, they're still taking cover," he said.
Several people were removed from the building on stretchers. Others left with their hands on their heads and were searched by police.
City councilman Martin Gerchman said he recently returned from the scene and said it looked like the building was "secure."
Earlier today police called Broome Community College to find someone who could speak fluent Vietnamese to "assist police with translation," said college spokesman Richard David.
Police, he said, did not indicated whether the translator, Professor Tuong Nguyen, was needed to speak with the shooter or with hostages, but believed the professor would be talking with the shooter.
Wilson Medical Center, the closest hospital to the site of the shootings, said three patients had been sent to its trauma center, one of them in critical condition.
One patient, according to a spokeswoman, had been brought to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.
"We're on full alert anticipating we're going to get additional casualties," hospital spokeswoman Linda Miller said.
FBI Sent Hostage Negotiators People were told in nearby buildings to stay away from windows and Binghamton High School is under a lock-down as police are using the school as a staging area. The school is a block and a half away from the shooting site.
Ten ambulances were called to the scene and an FBI hostage rescue team is reportedly on the way.
"The FBI is providing assistance to the Binghamton Police Department," FBI spokesman Rich Kolko said. "FBI Albany has sent Hostage Negotiators, Evidence Response Team and Command Post assistance. This is a rapidly developing situation and we refer you to the Binghamton Police Department for any additional information."
The FBI and New York State Police sent hostage negotiators, evidence collection teams and investigators to support the efforts of the Binghamton police in securing the scene, collecting the evidence and guiding hostages and people who hid from the gunman to safety.
New York Gov. David Paterson said, "We are monitoring the situation and I have directed the State Police to assist the Binghamton Police Department in any way they can."
At the time of the shooting the civic association was holding citizenship classes.
Because they have no scruples.
Nope. It was the blackmarket bag that had all of the bad stuff inside. On the serious side, may all of these grieving families and friends find comfort and solace. I grieve for this once great nation as well.
But of course, IBM just couldn’t find anyone more talented for the role they offered, other than someone who was in the country 28 years, but was in ‘language’ class as late as this week.
(ooops, sent it to myself, here it is again to you)
Just speculating here but:
If he was 41 then he was born in 1968 in Vietnam. If his family fled towards the end of the war (1975) he was probably about 7. From personal experience, many refugees from Vietnam did not become citizens until 5 years after arrival (1980) which would come close to the timeline that he was a citizen for 28 years.
She said Voong is a U.S. citizen and has been in this country for 28 years.
And he still needed language classes? I don’t get it.
:-\
Linh Phat Voong, was from Johnson City, N.Y... said a woman who identified herself as Voong's sister... her brother went to take classes today at the civic association and that she had not heard from him since. She said she did not know that he was involved in the shooting... Police also contacted Voong's sister to say her brother was dead. She told police that Voong was attending language classes at the civic center. She said Voong is a U.S. citizen and has been in this country for 28 years. Voong had recently been laid off from IBM in Johnson City, U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, a Democrat whose district includes Binghamton, told the Associated Press. The gunman opened fire on a citizenship class, he said. "People were there in the process of being tested for their citizenship," Hinchey said. "It was in the middle of a test. He just went in and opened fire."
Unfortunately, Fox News had some “experts” that were talking about how the loss of a job could cause people to do this. I had to turn of Cavuto, I was getting so sick of it. Everyone is so quick to find excuses for horrific behavior.
This is awful for the victims and their families.
How does an IBM employee not have a public photo?
America turned into a mocking lie to him. Obviously he was isane.
Suicide is one thing. What's the reason for homicide? Rule out prescription antidepressants, IMHO.
Ever notice how these types of things always rise when there is a Rat in the White House?
So the guy’s name was reported wrong, the kind of weapons was reported wrong... what else?
A good example of why not to take breaking news at face value. They pretty much always get stuff wrong, and sometimes it stays that way.
That plant has been closed for a number of years now in Endicott and I don’t remember any other IBM plant being there.
Very cruel. I know these guys; after breaking the news, they probably went on to ask, "how does it feel, that your brother murdered 16 innocent immigrants"? Or something like that. ABC = Absolutely Bad Class
This is very sad.
Not much more to say.
Your idea, if true, that he was still going to English classes after all these years is interesting. That would mean he would have isolated himself in just the type of “Balkanized” country we don’t want to be.
The timelines are almost identical to my wifes (also a refugee from Vietnam) but she grew up in a regular community and speaks English with no accent at all. A few of her relatives that live in California have so isolated themselves that they can not function in an English only environment. The ones who have adopted pure English are all successful.
Sounds like the victims were real immigrants who were trying to do things the right way, learning English and applying for citizenship. Very sad.
Kudos to the reporter, for
such a detailed story.
I feel like I know more about the killer’s background, from this one article, than I learned about our President’s, from 2 years of MSM campaign coverage.
Notice they said he had a “bag filled with high capacity magazines”.
High capacity magazines? I don’t think so. I wonder what the reporter thinks that means. When reporters use that term they’re usually doing a story on “assault rifles” with mags of 30 or more.
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