Empire State Building shooting: Gunman Jeffrey Johnson police Shot Dead after killing co-worker

A gunman opened fire near the Empire State Building in New York City on Friday morning (24 August), killing a former co-worker, before being shot and killed by police officers.

At least 8 other people were shot by gunman, identified as 58-year-old Jeffrey Johnson, who the police said was a disgruntled former employee of a company located within the popular symbol of the skyscraper.

8 Other shooting victims, some some grazing bullets, others struck directly, suffered the injuries threatening non-life and are all expected to survive.

Police officers say the shooting occurred around 9 on the side of Fifth Avenue, the Empire State Building, a time of day, when the sidewalks that surround him are packed with pedestrians and merchants are opening up their shops.

Armed with a pistol-caliber. Jeffrey Johnson, 45, a clothing designer who has laid off about a year ago by the clothing company imports Hazan, fired three times at 41-year-old company's office manager, shooting him in the head on the sidewalk in front of West 33rd Street.

Witnesses say the shooter then hiding her pistol and tried to stand, but a construction worker's quick-thinking that saw filming followed Johnson and pointed him out to two nearby officers patrol on foot — a security detail assigned to regularly patrol the 1,454-foot skyscraper after the terror attacks on 9/11, officials said.

A chaotic gunfight ensued, with nine bystanders wounded, and Johnson was shot and killed by police, he admitted that some of the people injured could have been affected by their bullets.

"Police confronted him and asked him to stop," says a witness. "Right in front of Fifth Avenue, he opened his bag and pulled out a gun and started shooting.

"People were shouting ' Get down! Get down! ' "said Marc Engel, an accountant who was the area when he heard the shots. "It took about 15 seconds, a lot of ' pop, pop, pop, pop, one hit after another."

For the moment the blows stopped, he says, the sidewalks were covered with blood. One person was "enough blood to leave a dripping flow," said Engel.

NYPD officers say that two of their officers fired 14 rounds to Johnson from about five feet away.

Semi-automatic weapon Johnson was equipped with fire at least eight shots, and at least one round was left in the clip, police said.

Immediately after the shooting, crowds of tourists and people on their way to work gathered along 34th Street, which was promptly stopped by the police.

"There was blood on the pavement," said another witness. "It was like a scene from CSI, but it was real. Literally was shaking. "

NYPD Commissioner Raymond Kelly said that Johnson and his victim had reported a history of problems, with each accusing the other of harassment in the workplace.

Johnson worked at the building society for about six years and was fired due to downsizing, Kelly said.

New York officials have made a point to note that the shooting was in no way a terrorist attack.

[NYDN, AP, USA Today]

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