No terrorist group behind New York shootout: Police
April 5th, 2009 - 12:35 am ICT by IANS
By Arun Kumar
Washington, April 4 (IANS) No terrorist group was behind the shooting rampage at an immigration services centre in New York State where a lone gunman killed 13 people and then shot himself, police said Saturday.
Reports of a tie to a terrorist group aren’t true, Binghamton Police chief Joseph Zikuski said in a televised press conference.
Pakistan’s top Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud had claimed in phone calls to some media outlets that he had ordered the shooting in a direct response to the drone attacks carried out by US forces on Pakistani tribal areas and that a second attacker had managed to escape.
The FBI has also rubbished the claim.
The gunman behind Friday’s rampage has been has been identified as 42-year-old Jiverly Voong, who lived in the nearby town of Union. He was born with the name Jiverly Wong but changed it to Voong, the police chief said.
Zikuski said while he can’t know what Voong was thinking, investigators know he lost his job at ShopVac. People who knew Voong were not surprised by his actions at the American Civic Association.
Until last month Voong was taking classes at the centre, which helps immigrants assimilate, he said. The gunman felt people were making fun of him for his poor English language skills.
Zikuski said Voong wore body armour during the attack, indicating he was prepared for a confrontation with police. He described the shooter as “coward” who intended to take on police but took his own life instead.
Most of the 13 victims at an immigrant centre had multiple gunshot wounds.
Zikuski said they did not know the exact time the shooter arrived at the American Civic Association. Police will need to talk to the receptionist who called 911 to put together an exact time line.
Describing the woman as a hero, the police chief said after she was shot, she pretended to be dead and hid under a desk. She called for help from a cell phone and remained in constant contact with police until a SWAT team entered the building.
Zikuski said there was no prior intelligence on Voong’s intentions and there is no tie to any terrorist group. Voong lived with his father, mother and sister at a home on Taylor Street in the town of Union.
Police expect to release the names of the 13 victims later Saturday as autopsies were still taking place and families need official notification first.
- Gunman behind New York immigration center massacre was a coward' - Apr 05, 2009
- Gunman on rampage in New York kills 13, shoots himself (Lead) - Apr 04, 2009
- Mass shootings have claimed hundreds of lives in US - Aug 14, 2012
- 'New York killer was depressed and angry over losing job' (Lead) - Apr 04, 2009
- New York shooter identified - Apr 04, 2009
- Pak Taliban chief Mehsud claims responsibility for New York shoot-out - Apr 04, 2009
- Chinese American gunman kills 13, self in New York immigration center - Apr 04, 2009
- Taliban says US will 'pay heavily' for drone attacks in Pak - Apr 07, 2009
- FBI rejects Baitullah's claim on New York terror attack - Apr 04, 2009
- Gurdwara chief braveheart who went down fighting - Aug 07, 2012
- Gunman kills 11 students in Brazil school - Apr 07, 2011
- 13 dead, 26 wounded in New York shooting rampage (Third Lead) - Apr 04, 2009
- Gunman shoots himself after killing 13 in New York shooting rampage (Fourth Lead) - Apr 04, 2009
- US rejects Taliban claim for NYK attack - Apr 04, 2009
- Pakistani Taliban claims responsibility for US shootout (Lead) - Apr 04, 2009
Tags: american civic association, arun kumar, body armour, chief joseph, confrontation with police, constant contact, direct response, drone, english language skills, exact time, gunshot wounds, immigration services, lone gunman, multiple gunshot, nearby town, police chief, rampage, terrorist group, time line, tribal areas