A gunman opened fire on New Yorkers and tourists as they prepared to enter the Empire State building’s observatory deck Friday morning.
According to news reports, the gunman was killed by police officers after he shot at least 10 people in front of the Empire State Building around 9 a.m.
Officials said two people are dead, including the gunman, and 9 others suffered gunshot wounds and other injuries related to the shooting. Police aren’t clear if the shooting was a dispute between two people, but police say there is no link to terrorism.
The gunman, who is described as white, was armed with a sawed off shotgun, according to law enforcement.
The mass shooting renewed calls for gun control after the recent mass shootings in Colorado by a deranged college student who ordered thousands of ammunition online.
Proponents of gun control say guns should be taken out of the hands of citizens who are not in the military or law enforcement.
From Wall Street Journal:
Agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation are on the scene, in addition to NYPD officers, an FBI spokesman said in an email.
Jill Greenwood, an account supervisor at Prosek Partners in the Empire State Building, said she heard several gun shots beginning at 9:04 a.m. Friday. In the minutes afterward, people inside the building began streaming out because an echo from the shots made it sound like they were coming from inside the building.
Later, she was told by building security the shooting took place outside the front of the entrance to the building’s observation deck at 34th Street and 5th Avenue.“We heard these gunshots, it sounded like fireworks. So, we both got up and went to the window and looked down,” said Ms. Greenwood, a 30-year-old New York resident.
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Photos: AP, CBS News
