Jump to content

2009 Binghamton shooting

Coordinates: 42°05′59″N 75°55′02″W / 42.09986°N 75.91716°W / 42.09986; -75.91716
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 65.170.234.10 (talk) at 03:39, 7 April 2009 (→The shooting: add citation). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Binghamton shootings
Map
LocationBinghamton, New York, United States[1]
DateFriday, April 3, 2009
10:30 a.m. EDT (14:30 UTC)
Attack type
Mass murder, murder-suicide
Weapons9 mm pistol
.45 caliber pistol[2]
Deaths14 (including perpetrator)[2]
Injured4 [3]
PerpetratorJiverly Wong (aka Jiverly Voong)

The Binghamton shootings took place on Friday, April 3, 2009, at the American Civic Association immigration center in Binghamton, New York. At approximately 10:30 a.m. EDT, a Vietnamese immigrant Jiverly Wong (also known as Jiverly Voong)[3][4] entered the facility and shot numerous people inside.[5] Fourteen people were ultimately confirmed dead, including the shooter.[2] Four were wounded.[3] In the incident, 41 were taken hostage by Wong.[6] Four people, aged from twenty to mid-fifties, were treated for gunshot wounds at Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City and Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital in Binghamton.[7][8]

The American Civic Association in Binghamton provides citizenship, cultural, and language assistance to the local immigrant community.[9]

The perpetrator

The perpetrator was 42-year-old Jiverly Wong, a Vietnamese immigrant and resident of Johnson City, New York.[4][10][11] Wong was born into an ethnic Hoa family in South Vietnam.[12] He first came to New York in the late 1980s before moving to California. In 1992, Wong was arrested and convicted of misdemeanor fraud.[citation needed] Wong became an American citizen in November 1995 and sometime after that, left the country.[citation needed] He later returned to the United Stated, to Los Angeles, in December 1999.[13] Wong married and later divorced Xiu Ping Jiang while living in Los Angeles; the couple had no children. [14]

He had lived in Inglewood, California, while working for almost seven years as a delivery man for a catering company called Kikka Sushi in Los Angeles. Wong failed to show up to work one day in July 2007, and the company's next contact with him was when Wong called seeking a copy of his W-2 earnings statement in 2008, asking that it be forwarded to a New York State address.[15]

Although early reports suggested Wong had recently lost his job at a local IBM plant in nearby Endicott, New York,[2] IBM stated they had no records showing Wong had ever worked for the company.[11] Wong worked at a local Shop-Vac vacuum cleaner plant until it closed in November 2008.[16]

While the exact reasons for Wong's actions are not known, several sources had suggested possible motivations; such as, Wong's feelings of being "degraded and disrespected" for his poor English language ability, his frustration with losing his job, and his difficulty finding work in New York.[11] Wong had also allegedly made comments such as "America sucks" and talked about assassinating the president, to his former coworkers at Shop Vac.[17] While, another one of his coworkers, Christine Guy, stated, "He was quiet -- not a violent person [...] I can't believe he would do something like this."[18]

The shooting

At about 10:30 a.m. EDT, Wong barricaded the rear door of the Binghamton American Civic Association building with a vehicle registered in his father's name.[19] He was described as wearing a bullet-proof vest,[20] a bright green nylon jacket, and dark-rimmed glasses.[21]

Wong then made entry through the front door firing a number of bullets at those in his path.[19] Two of the Civic Association's receptionists were among the first victims.[22] At 10:30 a.m. Broome County Communications received several 911 calls, and the first police arrived on the scene three minutes later.[23] While one of the receptionists was reported to have been shot through the head and killed,[2][24] the second, shot in the stomach,[24] feigned death and, when the gunman moved on, took cover under a desk and called 911.[25] The receptionist's call was taken by 911 staff at 10:38 a.m.[24] The wounded receptionist, 61-year-old Shirley DeLucia, remained on the line, despite her gunshot wound, for 39 minutes and relayed information until she was rescued.[26][27] She later recounted that the gunman had simply opened fire, without saying anything.[24]

The area where the violence was then focused was a classroom, just off the main reception areas, where a citizenship class was being given to immigrants.[24][25] Wong entered and began executing victims, taking some hostage.[21] Police arrived within two minutes of the 911 call, and Wong took his own life by shooting himself in the head when he heard the sirens approaching.[28] A period of 60–90 minutes elapsed before police entered the building. [28] Police remained at the perimeter of the property, having locked down nearby Binghamton High School and a number of streets in the area.[29] At one point police, not knowing if the gunman was alive or dead, summoned Broome Community College assistant professor, Tuong Hung Nguyen, who is fluent in Vietnamese, to help communicate with Wong in the event of contact.[30]

After a period of time outside, SWAT members entered the building and began clearing it. It had not yet been confirmed that Wong had committed suicide at this time, thus they proceeded with caution. At approximately 12:00 p.m., ten people left the building, with another ten following approximately forty minutes later.[19] Some of the hostages had escaped to a basement, while over a dozen remained hidden in a closet.[29] Thanh Huynh, a high school teacher of Vietnamese background, was asked to translate so the Vietnamese survivors could be interviewed by the police.[31]

Wong was found dead, in a first floor office of the building, from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.[21][25] Among the following, found on his body: a hunting knife, in the waistband of his pants;[21] a bag of ammunition, which was tied around his neck;[32] and two semi-automatic pistols (a .45-caliber Beretta and a 9mm Beretta, matching the serial numbers on his New York State pistol license).[4]

At 2:33 p.m. SWAT had completed the clearing of the building and all those inside had been released.[citation needed]

The letter

Just before Wong committed the shootings, he sent a two page letter to the TV station[33]. The letter is dated on March 18, 2009 about two weeks before the shooting. The hand written letter is in capital letters.

He said that cops (including undercover) have been harrassing and intimidating him and according to Wong, cops are ultimately responsible for the shooting. For instance the way cops harrassed them are like stealing 20 US dollar from his wallet while he slept, unlocking his apartment at night and coming in and watching and touching him while he slept, telling him to go back to his country, spreading rumours about him and suddenly breaking their police cars in front of him at least 32 times in order to cause an accident by him hitting the car. He also said police made him lose his job. He also complained about his "poor life" and is trying to end his life and at least two people will die with him. Also police in California where he previously lived and New York both harrassed him for 18 years.

The letter shows insight into Wong's mind and suggests that he had Paranoid schizophrenia, Delusional disorder, or another psychiatric disorder(s)[34].

Victims

Killed

  • Parveen Ali, age 26, a migrant from northern Pakistan [35]
  • Almir Olimpio Alves, age 43, a Brazilian Ph.D. a visiting scholar at SUNY Binghamton, attending English classes at the Civic Association [36]
  • Marc Henry Bernard, age 44, a migrant from Haiti [37]
  • Maria Sonia Bernard, age 46, a migrant from Haiti [37]
  • Li Guo, age 47, a visiting scholar from China [37]
  • Lan Ho, age 39, a migrant from Vietnam [37]
  • Layla Khalil, age 53, an Iraqi mother of three children [38]
  • Roberta King, age 72, an English language teacher who was substituting for a vacationing teacher [39]
  • Jiang Ling, age 22, a migrant from China [37]
  • Hong Xiu "Amy" Mao, age 35, a nail technician who migrated from China in 2006 [40]
  • Dolores Yigal, age 53, a recent immigrant from the Philippines [38]
  • Hai Hong Zhong, age 54, a migrant from China [37]
  • Maria Zobniw, age 60, a part-time caseworker at the Civic Association, originally from Ukraine [40]

A detailed obituary for the victims was published in The New York Times.[41]

Wounded

Among the four victims that were wounded:

  • Shirley DeLucia, age 61, the critically-wounded Civic Association receptionist who feigned death and then contacted police[42]

References

  1. ^ American Civic Association, picture from Google Maps. Retrieved April 3, 2009
  2. ^ a b c d e "Binghamton Rampage Leaves 14 Dead, Police Don't Know Motive". ABC News. April 3, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2009. Cite error: The named reference "abcnews" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c "Police say N.Y. immigrant shooter's act no surprise". Reuters. 2009-04-04. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  4. ^ a b c Seelye, Katharine Q (April 3, 2009). "Shooting in Binghamton, N.Y." New York Times. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
  5. ^ "Negotiators Work to Save Victims and Suspects – ABC News". Retrieved April 3, 2009.
  6. ^ "Official: Hostages held after 'multiple' shootings". CNN. April 3, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
  7. ^ Candiotti, Susan (April 3, 2009). "Gunman barricaded back door before rampage, police say". cnn.com. Retrieved April 3, 2009. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  8. ^ "The Associated Press: Governor confirms fatalities in NY state shooting". Associated Press. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
  9. ^ "United Way, Member Agencies: American Civic Association". unitedwaybroome.org. March 3, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
  10. ^ "NY Gunman Angry Over Poor English Skills, Job Loss". ABC News. 2009-04-04.
  11. ^ a b c Kates, William (April 4, 2009). "NY gunman angry over poor English skills, job loss". Associated Press. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
  12. ^ As gunman's life fell apart, he took others', Associated Press, April 4, 2009
  13. ^ Families Bury Binghamton, N.Y. Shooting Victims; New Details Emerge About Gunman, FOX News
  14. ^ No way police could have saved Jiverly Wong's 13 Binghamton victims, officials say, New York Daily News, April 5, 2009
  15. ^ Baum, Geraldine (April 3, 2009). "Shootings in Binghamton, N.Y., 'truly an American tragedy'". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 4, 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  16. ^ Hill, John (2009-04-05). "Community looks for answers". stargazette.com. Retrieved 2009-04-07. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  17. ^ Kemp, Joe. "Who is Jiverly Voong aka Jiverly Wong? Conflicting picture of Binghamton gunman emerges". nydailynews.com, April 4 2009. Retrieved on April 5, 2009.
  18. ^ "'No yelling, just silence, shooting.' a witness says'". CNN. April 4, 2009. Retrieved April 6, 2009.
  19. ^ a b c "Hostages Taken in Binghamton, N.Y." The New York Times. April 3, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  20. ^ Rubinkam, Michael (2009-04-04). "As NY gunman's life unraveled, he took others'". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  21. ^ a b c d Donaldson-Evans, Catherine (April 3, 2009). "Gunman Kills 13, Himself at Upstate New York Immigrant Center". foxnews.com. Retrieved April 3, 2009. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  22. ^ "AP Top News at 5:38 p.m." The Associated Press. April 3, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
  23. ^ . WBNG-TV. April 5, 2009 http://www.wbng.com/news/shooting/42499947.html. Retrieved April 6, 2009. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  24. ^ a b c d e Branigin, William (April 3, 2009). "Gunman Kills at Least 13 in Binghamton, N.Y." Washington Post. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
  25. ^ a b c Kates, William (April 3, 2009). "Police: 14 killed in NY immigrant center shooting". The Associated Press. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
  26. ^ William Kates (April 3, 2009). "Gunman blocks N.Y. center's door, kills 13, self". San Jose Mercury News. Retrieved April 3, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  27. ^ http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090404/ap_on_re_us/binghamton_shootings
  28. ^ a b "As gunman's life fell apart, he took others'". The Associated Press. April 4, 2009. Retrieved April 4, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  29. ^ a b "Man shoots at least 12, takes 41 hostage in New York". The Irish Times. April 3, 2009. Retrieved April 3, 2009. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  30. ^ "IBM denies Hinchey claim that shooter was laid off from IBM". Press Connect. April 3, 2009.
  31. ^ Fernandez, Manny (April 3, 2009). "In a Town With Few Immigrants, an Unlikely Horror". New York Times. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
  32. ^ Muskal, Michael (April 3, 2009). "Binghamton, N.Y., gunman kills 13". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 3, 2009.
  33. ^ http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/nyregion/2009/20090407_WONG_LETTER.pdf
  34. ^ "Letter from Jiverly Wong, the gunman in the Binghamton massacre, shows insight into paranoid mind". nydailynews.com. 2009-04-06. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
  35. ^ "Two victims will be buried today". pressconnects.com. 2009-04-05. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
  36. ^ Estadao
  37. ^ a b c d e f "Police defend response to Binghamton mass shooting". cnn.com. 2009-04-05. Retrieved 2009-04-06.
  38. ^ a b Harnandez, Javier C (2009-04-05). "Gunman had lost job, felt "degraded"". New York Times. Retrieved 2009-04-05. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  39. ^ "Teacher at Civic Association among dead". Press & Sun-Bulletin. April 4, 2009. Retrieved April 4, 2009.
  40. ^ a b Lysiak, Matt (2009-04-05). "Binghamton massacre victim brought joy to those around her, pal recalls". New York Daily News. Retrieved 2009-04-05. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  41. ^ Fernandez, Manny (2009-04-05). "Binghamton Victims Shared a Dream of Living Better Lives". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-04-06. {{cite news}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  42. ^ Phillips, Matt (2009-04-04). "Binghamton Shooting Victims Identified". Associated Press. Retrieved 2009-04-05.
Wikinews has related news:

42°05′59″N 75°55′02″W / 42.09986°N 75.91716°W / 42.09986; -75.91716

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2009_Binghamton_shooting&oldid=282265033"