E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSTwo people were killed and nine injured in a shooting Friday near the Empire State Building by a disgruntled ex-employee of a nearby business, officials said.
NEW YORK -- The man who police say shot and killed a former colleague Friday morning near the landmark Empire State Building, triggering panic in Midtown Manhattan, was described by neighbors as quiet and a bit of a loner.
Jeffrey Johnson, 58, of Manhattan, was dismissed from his job last year as an accessories designer at a women’s apparel firm, Hazan Imports, when the company underwent downsizing, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said at a press conference.
Kelly said Johnson opened fire at 9:03 a.m. EST on West 33rd Street in front the company where he formerly worked, shooting his former co-worker, age 41, three times, Kelly said. Johnson was later shot and killed by police, and nine others were injured.
Two killed, several hurt in shooting near Empire State Building
Johnson did not have a criminal record and authorities don’t know much about him, Mayor Michael Bloomberg said.
Johnson served in the Coast Guard from 1973 to 1977 and rose to petty officer second class, a Coast Guard spokesman said. He was honorably discharged.
One of Johnson's neighbors on the city's Upper East Side, Gisella Casella, 72, told The Wall Street Journal that he was quiet and loved his two cats. She saw him "dressed up" every morning and thought he was going to work.
“He was the nicest guy. I think he snapped or something,” she said.
The building superintendent, Guillermo Suarez, 72, told The New York Times that Johnson would go out to a local McDonald's every morning and come back with a bag from the fast food chain. He often would stay home for the rest of the day.
More content from NBCNews.com:
- Undocumented mom risks life in US to join immigration fight
- Ex-Navy SEAL in legal jeopardy for book on bin Laden raid
- Faith in Army's direction falls to all-time low, survey shows
- Video: Woman walks straight off train platform
- Embattled tanning industry fights back, taking cues from Big Tobacco
- California school district sued over abstinence-only sex ed
Leave a Comment:
So supposedly it was the economy that made it necessary for this
company called Hazan to downsize and let this man go. Very very sad.
We definitely need a new President to get this country turned
around or I fear there will be many more of these events.
People out of work get angry, desparate and without a job
somewhat lose their identity. I'm not blaming Obama for
this of course but just saying we need a new President
who can get America on a better footing. I doubt Obama
can do it. He has had the time but......
I am a 100% supporter of the 2nd amendment. There are currently and never will be any gun laws that could prevent this type of incident short of taking every last gun from every person in this hemisphere, which will never happen. It is obvious this person lost his marbles. While my heart goes out to the victims and their families, there is no practical solution, it is a price we pay for our freedom. If at some point someone comes up with a fool-proof means of weeding out people who are likely to go off and commit acts like this with firearms, I'd have no issues with denying them the right to have guns. Chances are they'd resort to some other means of accomplishing their goal, a car, knife, bat, screw driver. where would it end?
Yeah because it was in such great shape before he became President wasn't it? Yup.
...@rufus: The economy was in way better shape at the time King Obama assumed his throne. ...You can only blame poor ol, Bush for so long.
"We definitely need a new President to get this country turned
around or I fear"
Romney will bring back the same Bush ideas.... which is exactly why this man was out of work. Romney will make the poor pay more in taxes which is going to result in even more shootings like this. More and more people are getting pissed off that the rich are simply too rich... that the wealth of this country doesn't trickle down. It's been proven now that it doesn't.... hence the repercussions.
...@Patrick: Sorry, this guy got laid off last year; three years into the reign of King Obama. Liberal codependance needs to be treated soon or all of you guys will be going off like this one.
conserv-307836
Yes, so that explains it all, blame someone else and all will be fine. Trying to find excuses for this arse is iresponsible no matter what party line your one.
getagrip1
You must like to buy stocks at its highest, and sell it at its lowest. But I don't think Bush nor Obama is to blame for this economic mess, it started a while back, we were just too dumb to recognized it.
Patrick-261815
I think there is more to the economy than the POTUS, who ever it may be after Nov. Neither the repubs nor dems have a viable solution, but they're great at mocking each other and running stupid campaign adds.
Correct you are. Bush had something resembling a conscience left. He also released 15 years of tax returns.
Bush and Obama had nothing to do with the economic mess. Companies like AIG, the three car companies, Madoff, the rest of the bankers, the real estate industry, credit card companies, people who spent more than they could afford and those that didn't pay their bills are to blame for the mess we are in. I know someone who spent all their money, kept refinancing (why did the banks give them loans I'll never understand), charged over 100k in credit cards (why were they given so much credit?) and finally filing for bankruptcy. The principal they paid on their mortgage after 25 yrs was zero! My question to all of you who blame any president for this mess, where is the responsibility of each individual to take care of their own life and finances? Yes, we all can get in a bind by health issues, job loss or an accident (we have government services to help us in those times of need), but to blatantly spend money on so much material sh-t rather than security (money in the bank) is totally irresponsible!
Even though NYC has very tough gun laws, people got shot and killed. Even if guns were banned, the man would still have a gun, and people would still be killed.
Oops, I forgot- GUNS ARE BANNED IN NYC.
I wonder how many of the wounded were hit by friendly fire.
Just 9 of the 9.
All men with cats eventually go postal. This is a proven fact.
Like in Fifth Element. ;)
Now that is a new one for me. Where are those stats. I have 3 dogs my self but I need some convincing on this...not just a say so. Anyway...it was a good laugh, thank you. I could make a comment about going crazy over
p---y but I better not.
I think he meant all men with cats go to the post office, because our wives make us.
Ever notice the word CAT in catastrophe?
Yeah and it's in " CATegory " too like " CATegory I,II and III " hurricane.
Why should it not be said that all men that are women's apparel designers end up going postal?
Well, what man would own a cat, unless its a big cat from the jungles or the Africa plains. Really, what use is a house cat to a man? Just cause it's a pu55y cat, oh, WTH.....................
I know lots of people (men and woman alike) who have cats and none of them ever went ballistic because of it. Cats are wonderful companions and if treated with kindness, love and respect they will give you lots of comfort and love in return. After dealing with dogs, cats and many different species of wildlife, I can truely say the only species I have found to be mean or evil are humans. Give me a cat, dog or even a skunk anyday.
People are sick, you watch your pet and it tries to mimic human behavior wanting to improve its self. you look at a human and they do the opposite thinking if a animal can do it then so can they, thus degrading themselves to animal behavior, if that's what it is to be human then the world does not need any element of human that thinks that way, but the animals that desire to improve are a welcome guest on the planet. as well as people who know their place and continue to advance , and not regress to animal behavior. or evolve into something they are not.
Don't know if a new president would be a solution. I think helping people learn coping skills, people getting involved with their neighbors for example asking someone how are things going, can I help, want to go for a coffee etc . might be of help to someone on the brink of an emotional disaster. Also more financial help ,educational support and family involvement. There is so much we can do for each other if we just try.
I agree, "helping people learn coping skills, people getting involved with their neighbors for example asking someone how are things going, can I help, want to go for a coffee etc . might be of help to someone on the brink of an emotional disaster" but getting a new president would still help too.
BobW-3215303
Well, I like your idea, but I don't kow if it's such a good idea to ask gang bangers and thugs, "How was your day?" or ask, "Want to go for coffee?" Just saying.
@ Lanie; You are right in some respect but as a collective society we should only go so far with the support what we do need to do is as you suggested and at least offer that cup of coffee and some time, a little conversation can go a long way and friendship is a need but when that comes in the form of a government employee knocking at your door and saying Hi ! I'm from social services and I am here to help you, that will not fly so you might say we are the ones that are the first line and that will only help if people like Joe will let you in. some people become loners because they can not tolerate someone sticking their nose into other peoples business, and what they are doing is retreating from everyone to escape the few. so forget the Idea that society as a collective can repair all the damaged lives when that might just be the problem to begin with, and it may be to late for you to go knocking at their door with a dozen cup cakes. but you can try. the best way is simple hello on the street and build from their and hope the person doesn't shoot you or something, remember society is evolving backwards not forward. the signs are all around.
Doesn't it seem like most of these shooters are described as loners?
...@Carolyn: Thank goodness they haven't organized into groups yet!
@getagrip1
What makes you so sure they haven't.
There is a reason for that, Carolyn.
When people are down on their luck, they have often just lost most of their social connections that they've had through employment and participation in activities and organizations that they can no longer afford to regularly take part in after their source of income has been lost. Some people who were otherwise in their lives will distance themselves, partly because they feel awkward about the situation, or perhaps guilty about it, and instead of that hanging over their heads when they're around someone who has lost their job, they'd just as soon avoid the situation - and thus, that person - altogether. Other people they've known had either been reciprocating in something, or else were exploiting or mooching off of the person who had become unemployed. When their 'friend' could no longer afford to pay his way in things or afford to return favors, it was decided it was time for a new friend!
Anyone who suffers a major loss will have a hard time dealing with it, but since a job is a livelihood, that can be especially difficult. It's natural to be angry about the loss. It is also natural for people to avoid being around other people who are angry or bitter, so the person who has suffered a loss becomes increasingly isolated as everyone he or she knew backs away or abandons them altogether.
Most of us are loners, if you think about it. We have a relative handful of colleagues, acquaintances, and family...but many people have few if any real friends. We do all right the way things are, provided nothing really changes. But lose a job, be forced to relocate, have a death in the family, or any number of other things happen...and your world rapidly becomes a very different place. And possibly a very lonely one, too.
getagrip1, They have it's called the military.
...@bubba: LOL! ...Or, just crazy liberals with guns. ...There was this guy, the other gay guy that hated Chik-fil-A, the nutty liberal grad student at Aurora, CO...The list goes on and on!
Those who had fallen on hard times know that many friends vaporize when the money vaporizes.
The government is organizing them into groups by ordering them to group therapy sessions, there they can meet and relate to people with similar problems maybe even team up.
...More crazy killings, more suicides, worsening economy, more illegal aliens welcomed into an already tight job market, bad president.
it's actually been proven that there are less illegal aliens coming to America now since Obama took office though it has nothing to do with him and everything to do with the fact that there are less jobs to go around. This has absolutley nothing to do with the president and the economy. It's like trying to blame rap music for causing gun violence. Stupid people do stupid things. People have lost their jobs and gone postal for god knows how long. Stop making this issue bigger than what it is. A psycho snapped and went on a rampage. END OF STORY.
...@LMAO: Nope, it's because King Obama made 'em "temporarily" legal.
You know, there have always been people who suffer from mental illness. Where there are more people, there are more people who have snapped or who are on the verge. As much as you'd like to blame this on the economy or undocumented workers, or the President that you hate, it has much more to do with society's unwillingness to identify and address just how common mental illness is.
Mr O had to flavor the pot he wasn't getting enough Illegal aliens, he needs them for the election, one alien is worth six votes, and they can vote because they all have picture ID, and six copies with six different names, why our citizens can't get IDs beyond me. some of those illegals have the ID before they arrive.
If mental illness was to be looked into you would find that almost everyone if not everyone has some form of mental illness, what you need to do is define the degree of and the type of mental illness and what state of progression it is in. impossible to weed out every sick person, you would be starting a witch hunt the mental health clinics would love it because they would be in every ones pocket. Joe probably already had a run in with them and that's what pushed him over the edge.
I understand he used a pink Hello Kitty S&W .45
I have had cats all my married life, what does having a cat have to do with anything the Son of Sam heard Dogs so what all people who talk to Dogs are going to kill lovers. Hay I'm not going postal what me I don't even own guns don't have explosives either so don't worry about me and my cats. So I'm married so what want to do something about it. She's a nice girl got anything to say. Everybody have a nice day read you tomorrow I hope:-} Be safe.
Unfortunately, the hatred of cats has been a rather popular trend.
Unfortunately there are many who hate cats, yet they know nothing about them. And if that is not the case then those people are just cold and heartless.
Yes, cats are loyal excellent pets. They keep themselves clean and do NOT need to be walked. Also, they do not have a terrible odor. When I walk into a house where one or more dogs live, the odor is overwhelming, and causes me to want to vomit. How humans can live and eat in that environment is incomprehensible. I have relatives who have dogs on farms, but they are never allowed inside of a home, and they are excellent hunting dogs. Their cats also keep the barns free of mice.
The article does not say whether he was shooting at random employees or if he specifically targeted the man or woman he killed. He struck that person three who knows how many shots were fired. And the 9 others that were injured, did he do that?! A little more information would go a long way.
No, the cops did all of that. Civilian lives are cheap in NYC.
Another deranged homosexual Democrat shooter.
uhhh...yeah...whatever. Did you're father used to come into your room late at night after mom went to sleep Vern? You could use a little help.
There are no Republican homosexuals right? Seems there was one not to long ago with a wide stance...
...@rufus: It's a known fact that 99% of homosexuals are liberal Democrats.
Yeah I've heard that Republican males have done strange things in men's bathrooms while at airports. LOL
Getagrip1- There is no such fact. The Liberal ones are just out. The Republican homosexuals are still mostly in the closet although one of them is running for Mayor of San Diego. When Reagan was Governor of California his administration was rife with them and there was a scandal over that. You're either very young or you haven't been paying attention the last 50 yrs.
Pray for the victims. Please, someone adopt his cats...they are innocent of his actions. He loved the cats? He knew he was probably going to die and didn't consider what would happen to them. More like all he HAD was his cats. No people...no job. How sad that a human can just be downsized to the curb like trash and this is ok in our country now. Our economy is a joke. US businesses are tossing people aside in favor of cheap labor with no regard to the human beings they throw away. Now more people are suffering because this hurting man has taken a life and wounded many. American business should ONLY be able to hire here amongst fellow Americans. Buy American. Employ American. I would vote for a law that All US businesses that want to keep their citizenship manufacture in the US, hire in the US or GET OUT! Tariff the crap out of anything they try to sell here just as if the were foreign because they certainly aren't patriots.
And there should be protection for employees. Employers shouldn't be able to just lay people off without severance. When my husband was laid off in 2009 because of cutbacks, he was laid off along side someone who had worked with the company for 20 years and the got exactly the same severence "package" my husband got - 2 weeks severance. Two weeks pay for devoting his life to the place. Yet, CEOs are given golden parachutes when they leave companies in shambles.
lol.
Give me a break.
Let's outlaw being quiet - and you better not mind your own business because that's going to be illegal too!
Oh and you better have a Facebook page or Twitter account or you could be a Nazi.
Mass media stoking the fire that the government wants to engulf every last shred of sanity.
FEAR FEAR FEAR
...I think there's a lesson for all of us in this episode: Whether you be a fancy-schmantzy gay purse designer or a straight carpenter, if you get canned from your high-paying job and can't get the same gig, just get a job doing anything that will get you by. ...The economy will improve after Romney takes over as president in November.
I'm not a constitutional scholar but here's my take on the Second Amendment. I believe the intent was for the right of citizens to bear arms for purposes of self-defense and hunting. There is no question that a person does have the right under the Castle doctrine to defend yourself while inside your home. I also believe in the rights of sportsmen to hunt. But some weapons makes no sense for the average citizen to own. To tell you the truth I don't even believe in the use of an automatic shotgun. An automatic shotgun really doesn't give a pigeon, geese, duck or any other fowl a sporting chance. No one can truthfully explain to me why a citizen should even possess an AR 15 or any other assault weapon. The 1911 45 caliber automatic is an assault weapon. It's not even suitable or practical even for home defense. But the NRA would tell you that you have the right to own any weapon. If left up to them the NRA would allow citizens to own RPG's and bazookas. We have to put an end to this madness. Many weapons being sold to Americans are too powerful, fire to quickly and the magazines are too large. All of which disqualifies them as weapons for true sportsmen that's hunting any type of game animal in the field.
.
"quiet and a bit of a loner"
I KNEW they would say that, I JUST KNEW IT! Damn!!! There are crazy people on BOTH SIDES OF THE SPECTRUM PEOPLE. Introverts...or "quiet ones", "loners"(as you extroverts LOVE to conveniently label us as" are NOT ALL crazy.
Introverted or quiet does NOT automatically equal bad or abnormal, or weird. We are human, too, maybe you ought to open your eyes, and examine the world, and get to know people that are different from you!!!!!!!
I am BEYOND sick of this discrimination, the unfair stereotyping of the introverted, quiet people, I am tired as hell of this crap. Extroverts REALLY need to bring themselves down a notch, I mean it. But I'm wasting my breath, aren't I? I've said that soooooooo many times on here, but nobody gets it. So I'll leave some info and a quote on here:
1. Go and Google 5 Things You Can Do To Make A Quiet Person Feel Bad. Oh.............and I can excuse that website calling us "quiet", because they actually BOTHERED to inform themselves on the introverted types of people. And the info they put is correct.
2. Also Google, 6 Misleading Assumptions You Make About Quiet People, the website should be Cracked.com
Again, I can excuse the use of the word "quiet" because they have informed themselves.
It's the quiet ones you've gotta watch. every time you see a story about a serial criminal on tv what do they do? they bring on the neighbor and the neighbor says "weeeell, he was always very quiet" and someone in the room says "It's the quiet ones you gotta watch". This sound to me like a very dangerous assumption - I will bet you anything that while you're watching someone quiet a noisy one will fu*king kill you. Suppose you're in a bar and one of the guys sitting over the side reading a book not bothering anybody another guy stand on the front with a machette bangin' on the bar saying "I'll kill the next mother@!$%#er comes in here" - who you gonna watch? George Carlin
Almost forgot, what the HELL does being a cat lover have to do with being crazy? I have loved cats for as long as I can remember, I have cats at home, and I'm not crazy. I'm a bit weird, but I'm not going off the walls kind of weird. Cat lovers are NOT insane, we are NOT crazy, get off your high horse, and leave cats out of it!
Don't take it so personally...jeez.
isis
I hope you got your gun in the safe and forgot the combo because from one introvert to another, your on the edge. Try a couple of bongs....works for me.
Why assume that all of the kooks are introverted? Psychopaths know how to appear very extroverted. This is how some of them get their victims.
@WisconsinDad, I AM taking it personally, and I am speaking on behalf of ALL introverts out there, who have to watch these news stories where somebody will say "they were quiet" or "they were a loner". At this point, the ignorant judgemental friends/neighbors saying those things is INEVITABLE.
@totherepublic....I've got a RUDE AWAKENING for ya: Just because I get heated at an UNFAIR stereotype of introverts and quiet people, that does NOT make me crazy. Just because I am passionate about trying to get people to see that we are not as "weird" or "abnormal" as we're made out to be, that does NOT mean I'm on the edge. I am ALLOWED to get angry at the stereotypes, without people like you AUTOMATICALLY calling me crazy! How dare you.
Your quote: I hope you got your gun in the safe and forgot the combo because from one introvert to another, your on the edge.
You know what! You'd think that as an introvert, you'd be more sensitive to the other ones around you! Not EVERY introvert fits the same mold either, even though they classify themselves with that term! And that comment of yours, is COMPLETELY uncalled for, and judgemental, and as far as I'm concerned, you are NO BETTER than the extroverts who judge us. Not gonna lie, that one STUNG. How hurtful.
I'd appreciate if you would NOT insult me just because I get heated about an article.....but I'm wasting my breath, you could probably care less how hurtful that comment was.
Just because we're both introverts, that does NOT mean that I, or any other introvert is the absolute same as you.
isis
if you are to find peace you will only find it within. you are going about it all wrong. it does not matter what world thinks of you...just the person in the mirror.
You know, I can agree with you to an extent, I don't care what the world thinks of me.....for the most part. But I will NOT sit idly by and let the rest of the world stereotype and judge introverts and quiet people, or anyone who is "different", because a LOT of the time, those people are very interesting, and will make your life richer for knowing them.
If you want to sit on your ass and let the world pass ignorant, misinformed judgement toward introverts, go right ahead but I will NOT.....because as much as I hate to admit it, I do care to an extent what the world thinks of myself and other introverted people.
Oh, and I still stand by what I said earlier. I got angry at the judgement on those types of people in that article, but anger does not mean insanity, and it is STILL hurtful, even if you won't acknowledge it.
Lol. Thanks for the Carlin bit. It reminds of the movie "Stand ByMe":
" Am I weird "
" Yeah but so what. Everyones weird."
There's more to this story that isn't being reported. Miranda, do some homework and do a follow up story.
This was not a 'rampage'. The shooter knew his target and went directly to him and shot him three times. The COPS SHOT EVERYONE ELSE!
I fail to see what having pets has to do with murdering people....the morons who post that just because he had 2 cats he went postal. What absurd thinking...if anyone is mentally challenged its those of you who think animal owners have issues with mental problems....Go frig yourselves.
Why is everyone quick to blame politicians for this kind of thing? Didn't you read the headline? It's the obviously the fact that he's a cat lover. That'll drive anyone crazy - I should know. I love cats too! :)
If a hurricane hits Tampa during the TGOP panty-party, are they all going to blame President Obama for it?
Oh watchout he owns a cat he is a killer, REALLY??? In the title? So the government better raid anyones house that has a cat by using the patriot act and evaluate them. WOW America......
Basically you are saying because of how the economy is going right now that justify his actions, I hope more people realize that having a president is just a illusion.
Armpit Licking Cat, Psychologists & YouTube Commenters
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4qLM32wOhw