Empire State Building Shooting

Note the plaid shirt. Apparently the main victim was shot near the Empire State Building.

The FBI and the ATF are at the iconic Empire State Building, investigating a shooting. Four to six people have been shot, with ten in total injured, with two people dead, including the gunman who was killed by the NYPD.  A witness says the gunman was firing indiscriminately. Most of the activity appears to be on 33rd Street.

New York City officials say at least four people have been shot outside the Empire State Building and that the gunman is dead.

City police say at least four people have been wounded in the Friday morning shooting. Some of the victims were reportedly found inside the lobby of the Empire State Building while some were found on the street.

A fire department spokesman says it received a call about the shooting just after at 9 a.m. Friday and that emergency units were on the scene within minutes.

Aliyah Imam tells Fox 5 News that she was standing at a red light when a woman standing next to her fell to the ground. She says the woman was hit in the hip. She says the gunman was "shooting indiscriminately at people."

The shooting reportedly occurred at 33rd Street and Fifth Avenue, and it is 33rd Street that is blocked off.  Hazan Imports, outside of where this occurred, is located at 10 W 33rd St, New York, NY 10001. Their website is a deadlink, http://www.hazanimport.com.

This grab is from WABC-TV; emergency personnel respond to reports of several people being shot outside the Empire State Building, Friday, Aug. 24, 2012, in New York. Authorities say the shooter is dead. Photo by AP/WABC-TV.

Gawker published a series of photos (the mildest one above is shown) allegedly of the shooter, in a gray suit, dead, being examined by police.

Empire State Building is in the foreground, with the Twin Towers under attack on 9/11/2001.

Latest reports by NYC Police is that this is "not domestic terrorism," but allegedly the gunman was fired from his job yesterday. The date of this person leaving his job was given incorrectly in the early reports. He was laid off a year ago from Hazan Imports*.

Ralph Hazan is in charge of Hazan Imports. A "John Hazan" works at Bain & Company, Inc.

At the news conference this am, it was revealed the victim was a coworker, 41, shot by Jeffrey Johnson, first reported to be 53. Johnson was killed in a shootout with law enforcement officers. Nine other people (seven men, two women) were injured in crossfire.

The New York Times metro desk tweeted that Johnson was 58, not 53, and lives on East 82nd Street in Manhattan. He apparently lost his job a year ago when the company downsized.

The New York Post reported that Johnson stalked his former boss down the street and shot him.

Jeffrey Johnson, his neighbors said, went to McDonald's every day wearing the same suit he apparently wore during the shooting.

Johnson was an artist, who posted his art at several sites on the Internet.

Images of the victim are showing up more quickly than Johnson's photo.

A relative identified the victim as Steve Ercolino (pictured), who was the vice president of sales at Hazan. (The name Ercolino means "bow leg," and is also associated with the name Miller, for one "who works in a mill.")


Mayor Michael Bloomberg is a spokesperson for the "Mayors Against Illegal Guns," heading a campaign called “Demand A Plan,” which is pushing the 2012 presidential candidates to “detail specific plans to prevent the gun violence.”

On February 24, 1997, a gunman shot seven people on the observation deck, killing one, then fatally killing himself.
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*Hazan Imports

Here is a 2009 press release about that company:


Hazan Import Corp.

Hazan Imports, located in NYC at 10 West 33rd Street, brings over 30 years of experience in the handbag industry run by Isaac and Ralph Hazan. They are entering the branded market with BUM Equipment. They want entry into the majors and feel the BUM brand can open the doors for them. Ralph Hazan foresees a big opportunity in the kids’ segment of bags. “Branding is the name of the game for us. Today’s world is brand-centric,” states Ralph Hazan. Hazan chose BUM for its consistent ranking in the top 10 for consumer awareness and brand appeal. “We feel BUM Equipment will bring a fresh appeal to our product, adding to our huge and still growing customer base,” adds Hazan. Stephen Wayne remarks, “Hazan is a leading handbag company known to be young thinking, dynamic and always fashion conscious.”

Hazan will be distribute BUM to chains including specialty stores, mass merchandisers and sporting goods stores as well as independent retailers nationwide. Prices will retail from $14.99 to $39.00. Sales Manager, Steve Ercolino says, “We have kicked off our Spring selling with an emphasis on the Varsity look for Back to School. We are mixing fabrics and offering a fresh look plus color is more important than ever and is driving sales.” Nostalgia and vintage are the statements for Fall 2007. Hazan has developed a unique stamping process that puffs the fabric they treat and retailers are ecstatic it. “This eye-catching styling is crucial to the savvy junior brand consumer in our marketplace,” adds Ercolino.

Hazan’s design concept is simple says Ralph Hazan: “Take the best of the past and infuse it with the best of today! “We have high expectations for the BUM Equipment brand, and we hope to enjoy a glorious ‘revival’ with both old and new audiences.”

From sweats to a complete ACCESSORIES LINEUP in 2007: According to Stephen Wayne, “With the signing of both L’Egent and Hazan, we now have a full line of accessories under the BUM Equipment brand.” In Addition to the signing of these two new licenses, L’Egent and International and Hazan Imports, At the end of December Bum Equipment renewed all of its other existing licenses to new and additional terms. ROI EYEWEAR continues with Ophthalmic Sunglasses for another three years as one of the most successful licensees on the Bum roster. ROIhas been a licensee of Bum since 1997. Wayne is pleased to also announce the renewals of GENENDER INTERNATIONAL for watches and MONARCH LUGGAGE/BAY TRAVELGEAR for luggage and backpacks. They too have been licensees of Bum Equipment since 1997. BROWN SHOE for footwear and GOLD MEDAL HOSIERY for hosiery and cold weather accessories have renewed their contracts for additional terms too. Bum Equipment footwear can be found at all Famous Footwear retail stores across America.

Source.