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.
When staging acts part of the Disarm Citizens agenda, how far will they now go?
Answer:
http://citizens-disarmed.blogspot.com/2009/03/german-school-massacre-repackaged-to.html
You’d think at least ONE of the reporters or editors would catch these glaring mistakes, but that wouldn’t fit with their agenda would it?
You’re right though — big difference between FULL-AUTO, and SEMI-AUTO!
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.
Perhaps he was teaching English?
The frequency of these mass shootings appear occurring every other day now.
It’s interesting, most of these these mass shooting appear to be disjointed, and the targets seem to be focused on the totally innocent. They appear to be unplanned, boiling spontaneous rage.
Officials said Voong entered the civic association armed with two 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.
No, it would be magazines in a .45. "Clips" are also a real thing, but different from a magazine, and a little less common. A magazine is a tube or box that contains the ammo and feeds it up with a spring, while a clip is an actual clip that grabs the ammo and holds on to it, usually by the rim of the case. An exception would be the Garand, that has a box-shaped "clip" that holds the ammo until it is empty and ejects from the rifle.
heavy caliber pistols
I guess they needed some additional adjectives since no evil “automatic” assault weapon was found
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LOL, you noticed that too? Earlier Shep was saying it was a high caliber rifle. One of those evil weapons. Odd they never consider a 12 gauge and evil weapon but with the right shells, anyone could easily walk into that same room and take out several with one shell. Guns aren’t evil, the people that use them in that manner are.
Yep, I realize that now that I’ve seen the name. I’ve known quite a few Vietnamese, and Hmong... I just wanted to explain why that was the first thing that came to mind (before we knew he was Vietnamese)... I suppose it’s not that much of a difference though. They ALL know what Communism does to a country...
I’d imagine if he blamed the loss of his job on the Communist actions of the government that may lead to a tremendous amount of anger. Again, this doesn’t excuse these horrible acts — killing of innocents. Just something that I found strange... Usually the first thing I think of is the victims, and today it was that thought... Very weird to say the least.
[I’m also battling the flu today - just woke from a 5 hour nap, so maybe it’s just me being sick that is making today feel strange! LOL]
Fox News had some “experts” that were talking about how the loss of a job could cause people to do this
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Well going after innocent people that have nothing to do with the economic crisis is stupid. If they have to go whacko and lose it, and they are hell bent on doing it, at least.......................... :P
Seasonal Affective Disorder?
Automatic pistols...
The most strange thing is that these newscasters don’t even know - or care - how stupid they sound to anyone who knows anything about firearms.
Ignorance truly is bliss...
Thanks for the explanation and details! I really appreciate it. I remember my Dad’s having that spring in the bottom like you mentioned.
I deal with people for a living. Most foreigners I run into, simply suck, and are out to suck our system dry, most are corrupt, with really bad, "we owe them" attitudes. In addition, most foreigners know exactly how to work this "pay me" system and have support to this end.
So many are ignorant of “The Third Terrorist” and how Saddam’s Republican Guard was allowed free entrée to the U.S. to plot their revenge after Gulf War 1 defeat - and use the patsy McVeigh as their fall guy with the complicity of the BS same-stream media and Clintonistas. Clinton won a second term due to the April 1995 OKC bombing and framing the “vast right wing conspiracy’ for OKC. ALL A LIE.
Did they check the facts with respect to the "high capacity" magazines. A typical 1911 (45Auto) has 7 rds in a single stack plus one in the chamber. A typical 9mm has 12 or 13 rd magazines (double stack). Again, you can put one in the chamber. Those are standard size. I've seen ridiculous 30 rd mags for a 1911. They hang almost a foot below the grip. Ditto for some mags for the Glock 18. Again, they are ridiculously long and unwieldy. I can't imagine anyone purposely handicapping themselves with a long mag dangling off a pistol that way. Thus, my belief that they were not "high capacity".
</sarcasm>
Make his family pay. Ban any relations living overseas from ever entering the country. Punish any family in the USA. That’s the only way to protect gun rights and slow this crap down. You have to realize you are condemning your family as well. Then the family will take a more active role in policing it’s misfits. What’s going to happen is a police state unless something drastic is done.
Im just another wacko conspiracy theorist, but I would say “their” plan is working. However they trigger these attacks, they are a means to justify gun/ammo control confiscation.
“Come to America and blow some people away. No consequences. It’s the latest rage.”
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