Binghamton Hostage Situation: 4 People Shot, Others Held

A shooter, who apparently has a "high-powered rifle," has shot at least four people and taken many others hostage at about 10:30 a.m. in Binghamton, NY. According to the Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin, the situation is occurring at the American Civic Association: "About 40 hostages were in the building -- 15 in a closet and 26 in the boiler room. Shortly after noon, about 10 people were released from the building, with hands on their heads. The police searched some of them. Around 12:40 p.m., another 10 were released from the rear of the building, clad in white sheets." On its website, the ACA says it "Assists immigrants and refugees with immigration and personal counseling, resettlement, citizenship, family reunification, interpreters, and translators. Fosters cross cultural understanding for the entire community." The victims' conditions are not immediately known.

Update: CNN is reporting four people are dead.

Update 1:58 p.m. : The Press & Sun Bulletin reports, "The suspect was described as an Asian male in his 20s, between 5-feet 8-inches and 6 feet tall, wearing a bright green nylon jacket and dark-rimmed glasses." A community college professor fluent in Vietnamese was also asked to aid cops in communicating with the shooter.

Update 2 p.m.: ABC News reports 13 are dead, 26 wounded.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on April 3, 2009 1:01 PM

Comments [rss]

NannyState

14 dead now. I don't care what anybody says, if someone tries to herd you into a closet or cooler with a gun, fight like hell.

traveler

Seems that CR & SonnyBobiche like to stir the pot.

NYC has some of the strictest anti-gun laws, making more won't help.

inoyourider

And here I thought it must be a Limbaugh or Lou Dobbs fan.

JenChungsBaby

It's over. The asshold offed himself after killing at least a dozen people. 1010 WINS reporting that he parked his car in the back of the building so as to block the rear door and then went around the front and starting shooting.

SonnyBobiche

Described as "South Asian" male? That's easy, sudden jihaddi syndrome.

CR

That area of New York State (and bordering PA) have an element of White Supremacy. Come to think of it though, so does Gothamist.

hotstepper

"The suspect was described as an Asian male in his 20s"

what's the relevance of what you are claiming even if you did have a source for such a blanket statement?

CR

At the time I suspected it was White Power related, and perhaps it still is - stranger things have happened. And what's a blanket-statement about what I said? There's Klan activity up there.

Oh, did you mean a comment about Gothamist commentators?

hotstepper

it seemed like a completely asinine comment and i was looking for modern instances of the "white power" movement in that geographical area, that you have again asserted as being fact.

furthermore, in contemporary times these types of horrific shootings are not usually perpetrated by groups of white men dressed in bed sheets.

Rocknrope

Binghamton is getting a lot of press this year. First the NCAA tournament run, now this.

fugothamist

guns are grrrrreat!

JenChungsBaby

Binghamton mayor reporting at least 12 dead.

citizenerased

4 dead according to CNN. 1:20pm

Trilby16

I would like to get Gillibrand's take on this.

Guest

She would probably say that had someone else inside the building been packing, this guy would not have gotten to kill 13 people. You may not like guns but they are here to stay no matter what the government does or does not do to regulate them.