Thread: BLOODBATH at Immigration Center in NY!!

Hazy Picture of Gunman Emerges
Shooter Seemed Nervous but Worked Hard Without Complaint, Former Co-Workers Say
By KI MAE HEUSSNER
April 4, 2009
98 comments

As the community of Binghamton, N.Y., begins to heal from the shooting rampage that left 14 people dead at an immigrant services center, police are starting to piece together a spotty portrait of the man behind the violence.


On Saturday, officials confirmed that 41-year-old Jiverly Wong, shown here, was the gunman who...
(Binghamton Police Department/AP Photo)
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On Saturday, the local police chief dismissed as a "coward" 41-year-old Jiverly A. Wong, a Vietnamese-American who reportedly also used the last name Voong, adding that those who knew the suspect were not completely surprised at his violent outburst.

Former co-workers said he was a loner who often seemed nervous but worked hard without complaint.

Wong arrived Friday at Binghamton's American Civic Association with guns, extra ammunition and wearing body armor, Binghamton Police Chief Joseph Zikuski said. But he evidently killed himself before police arrived.

"He must have been a coward," Zikuski said. "We speculate when he heard the sirens that he decided to end his own life.."

Police are still not sure of the motive, but family and friends indicated that Wong was upset about losing a job at the company Shop-Vac and felt he was "being degraded" because of his inability to speak English well, Zikuski said.

Wong Was a Hard-Working Loner
Wong was unmarried but lived with his father, mother and sister in Union, N.Y., Zikuski said. Until the first week in March, when he apparently dropped out, he was a student at the immigrant center.

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Wong had worked in Binghamton for Shop-Vac, but was laid off in November, investigators learned.

Donald Ackley, a former co-worker of Wong's at the vacuum cleaner factory, told ABC News that he was loner who often seemed nervous, but he wouldn't have expected such violence from him.

""He was real nervous, really high strung. He worked real hard. Everything he did was fast," Ackley said.

Although Wong did "quirky things," he added that there was "nothing that would leave you to believe he was capable of doing something like this."


Ackley also said that Wong worked very hard and "wasn't a complainer."

It was difficult for the two to communicate because of the language issue, he said, but "he kept to himself… He didn't interact with a lot of employees."

Another former co-worker, from the Inglewood, Calif., company Kikka Sushi, told the Los Angeles Times that Wong was a good worker but quiet.

"We didn't really think this person could do such a thing. He was really good at doing his job – we respected him for that," Paulus Lukus, human resources manager for Kikka Sushi, told the Times. "He's never late, he's always punctual. … He doesn't complain, he doesn't argue with people. He gets along."

Lukus said that Wong worked for the company as a deliveryman for nearly seven years, until July 2007. But he said Wong never formally quit. He just didn't show up for work one day.

In a statement, Kikka Sushi confirmed that Wong had worked for the company but said that out of respect for the victims of the tragedy, it would not comment further.

Actions Not a Total Shock
On Saturday, Zikuski also said a 1999 report filed with the state police revealed that Wong had been planning a bank robbery and was addicted to drugs. He also referred to a protective order against him related to a divorce in California, but did not provide additional details.

Wong had not shared his intentions with those close to him, but Zikuski said that to those who knew him well, Wong's behavior yesterday "wasn't a total shock."

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Because Wong had been wearing body armor at the time of the shooting, police think he may have anticipated an altercation with them, though he evidently chose suicide instead, Zikuski said.

Shirley DeLucia, the receptionist who placed a 911 phone call to police after pretending to be dead, might have prevented additional slayings, Zikuski said.

"I'd describe her as a hero," he said.

The police chief said she and three other victims are at area hospitals and are expected to survive.

Officials are in the process of identifying the victims and notifying familes. Zikuski said they expect to finish by Saturday evening and then will release the full list of names.


Civic Association 'Stricken With Grief'
Angela Leach, president of American Civic Association, said the organization was stricken with grief but would continue to work with the community and "come out of our sadness more resolute in our mission to help people realize the dream of American citizenship."

"Every ounce of our energies, caring and compassion is going to help those who are suffering," she said.

Binghamton Mayor Matthew Ryan said leaders of the 40,000-person community are working with local and state agencies to investigate the incident and support the families. He added that nine countries and two consulates have reached out to offer assistance.

Earlier, Ryan told ABC News, "You'll see this community mourn and grieve. But they'll come back and be strong. We have a very strong immigrant population. We honor them and we'll mourn with them and make sure that we move forward."

Officials said the community is a planning a city-wide interfaith vigil for Sunday and has set up support services for families of the victims.

Shooting Over Within Minutes
Officials have said Wong entered the one-story American Civic Association in downtown Binghamton at 10:31 a.m. on Friday.

Within minutes, the shooting was over and 14 people -- including the gunman -- lay dead.

Wong entered the civic association armed with two pistols -- a 9 mm and a .45 caliber handgun. A satchel around the gunman's neck carried high-capacity magazines, a survival knife and a flashlight, according to police.

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He allegedly burst into the civic center wearing a bright green nylon jacket and dark-rimmed glasses and promptly shot two female receptionists.

Most of the people killed or injured were in one classroom taking a citizenship exam.

The police chief said 37 people were safely removed from the building, 26 of whom had barricaded themselves in the building's boiler room.

Police arrived just two minutes after the receptionist called 911. Though the shooting lasted only minutes, it took police three hours to make sure the shooter wasn't still alive and laying in wait for more victims.


Sister Stunned at News of Shooting
When the carnage was over, Wong's body was found with a hunting knife jammed into the waistband of his pants.

"He shot those people? No. No," said a woman who identified herself as Voong's sister but would not give her name when reached by ABCNews.com Friday.

She said her brother went to take classes Friday at the civic association and that she had not heard from him since. She said she did not know that he was involved in the shooting.

"I'm going to pass out," she said, and hung up the phone.

A neighbor who lived on the same block as Voong and his family described the family as "quiet" and said they mostly kept to themselves.

"They were nice people," said the neighbor, who identified herself only as Darlene. "They were good neighbors."

Obama Comments on Shooting
People were told in nearby buildings to stay away from windows, and Binghamton High School was under a lockdown as police used the school as a staging area. The school is a block-and-a-half away from the shooting site.

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President Obama gave a statement from the NATO summit he was attending in France.

"I am heartbroken for the families who survived this tragedy," he said. "And it just underscores the degree to which, in each of our countries, we have to guard against the kind of senseless violence that the tragedy represents."


New York Gov. David Paterson called the shooting "the worst tragedy and senseless crime in the history of the city."

"We all just have profound sorrow and sadness," he said.

ABC News' Stephanie Sy, Bill Weir, Richard Esposito, Pierre Thomas, Russell Goldman, Scott Michels and Ned Potter contributed to this report.


http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=7256239&page=1

I believe that Sens. John McCain and Kerry--both Vietnam vets--were instrumental in bringing about "commercial peace" between Vietman and the U.S. in order to appease their own feelings over the conflict. This brought an influx of immigrants from Vietman to the U.S.. (in re-payment for our "crimes against civilians" there", I believe, although we were allowed no public "trial" on this in which the U.S. was represented.) I have read that Vietnamese fishermen who immigrated here are very aggressive and have since taken over much of the fishing along the Texas Gulf coast, lowering considerably the standards of cleanliness and of obedience to the rules of catch allowed to be harvested. These rules and laws only apply to native-born Americans, it seems.

The Vietman conflict was unfortunate for all involved, and our governement was warned early on by the French (the original European colonizers of Vietnam) not to involve ourselves in it further. It is unfortunate for both our peoples that it did not listen.

Originally Posted by MountainDog

So what? It's also a fact that guns prevent more crime than they cause!
If only a few of the people involved in this event had concealed carry permits they could have stopped this killer before he took the lives of all those innocent people!

This blogger blames the gun.



Another act of gun violence takes 12 lives — immigrants taking their citizenship exam
—By Marisa Treviño

Binghamton, New York is reeling from a massacre that took place at the American Civic Association, a place that helps immigrants and refugees with counseling, resettlement, citizenship, family reunification and translators.


The shooter was an Asian man, 42-years-old. He initially shot and killed twelve immigrants who were among a class taking their citizenship exam. According to news reports, the rest of the people were in the building at the time took refuge in various parts of the building.

The local news site, Pressconnects.com, reports on their website that "at one point more than 40 hostages were being held in the building at 131 Front Street — 15 in a closet and 26 in the boiler room."

In an email to Latina Lista, Jennifer Micale, assistant metro editor of Press & Sun-Bulletin, said that so far the ethnicity of the victims is not known, nor the motive of the shooter.

CNN is reporting that the shooter is from upstate New York and so unless there is a suicide note or he spoke to anyone, it is speculation as to what his motives may have been.

What is certain is that this particular building was his intended destination. Whether it was staff or clients he was gunning for will be determined, maybe, later.

Whatever the outcome of the investigation, one thing is clear — this was a man who had no business having a gun.

If this isn't yet another argument for stricter gun laws, I don't know what is.

http://www.latinalista.net/palabrafinal/

Originally Posted by Texas2step

I believe that Sens. John McCain and Kerry--both Vietnam vets--were instrumental in bringing about "commercial peace" between Vietman and the U.S. in order to appease their own feelings over the conflict. This brought an influx of immigrants from Vietman to the U.S..

No, most Vietnamese immigrants came a few years after the fall of Saigon in 1975. The US did not normalize relations with Vietnam until the middle 1990's.

Bowman,

Thank you for the historical factual correction.

Ali Noorani -- executive director of the National Immigration Forum, a pro-immigrant advocacy group in Washington, D.C. -- said he urged people to resist using the shooting for political purposes in the immigration debate

So the spin begins by the left.....

This man was obviously not here as long as the first statements said, if he came in the early 1990's, that is not 28 years, that would have been 1981, but the article said in early 90's.

As well it seems he was quite mentally unstable. With that kind of hatred and angst, it would seem this had been an issue of his before he even came to the U.S., and as much did not really want to be here.

such a terrible incident, it may not have helped too much but the reports are that emergency help was delayed due to a lack of english proficiency, which sucks even more knowing these were people wanting to be citizens.

Any report as to why he attacked the center and not the vacuum plant he worked at?

Any report as to why he attacked the center and not the vacuum plant he worked at?

He had been taking English lessons at the center and still couldn't speak English very well,

and he felt that people made fun of his poor English.

Transcript of letter purportedly sent by NY gunman

By The Associated Press, The Associated Press
3:49 p.m. April 6, 2009

Text of letter sent to Syracuse, N.Y., TV station News 10 Now from a man identifying himself as Jiverly Wong, the gunman who killed 13 people, then himself, at the American Civic Association in Binghamton. The letter was handwritten in all capital letters on two sheets of paper. It was postmarked Friday, April 3, the day of the shootings.

Date March 18 2009

Dear NEW TEN NOW

I am Jiverly Wong Shooting the people.

The first I want to say sorry I know a little English. I hope you understand all of this. Of course you need to know why I shooting? Because undercover cop gave me a lot of ass during eighteen years I got seven years and eight month delivery to grocery in the California came back New York on the August 2007.
Let talk about when I live in California. Such as...cop used 24 hours the technique of ultramodern and camera for burn the chemical in my house. For switch the channel time...For adjust the fan. For made me unbreathable. For made me vomit. For connect the music into my ear.
Undercover cop usual coined some nasty was not true about me and spread a rumour to the receiver and some people know me conduce toward many people predudiced and selfish to me...cop made me lost my job...cop put me became poor.
Let talk about when I live at the 28 Baker St. 2nd Floor, Johnson City, New York 13790. It terrible when I live there such as...cop wait until midnight when I off the light and went to the bed. Cop unlock my door and came in take a sit in my room ((cop did it thirteen time on the year 1994 )) on the thirteen time had three time touch me when I sleeping. One time stolen 20 dollar in my wallet. One time used electric gun shoot at the behind my neck. (That time I did not know English)
Please continue second page thank you.
Page 2
From 1990 to 1995 New York undercover cop try to get a car accident with me. Such as when I driving on the highway and on the street undercover cop sunddenly brake the car stop immediately at the of front my car...cop did it 32 time like that during 1990 to 1995 but I never hit the car.
Many time from 1990 to 1997 at the day time...cop exploit unknow English and went to my house knock the door for harass and domineer. Of course during that time cop coined something was not true about me and spread a rumour nasty like the California cop.
From August 2007 until now cop gave me not to much ass only one time cop leave a massage in my voice mail and said (( come back your country )) after five minute I send a text massage to them I said I will call the police and they send it back to me they said they are the police.
Dear New Ten Now. Right now I still get unemploment benefit of the company Shop Vac Endicott. New York State Department of Labor was cheat and unpaid from December 1st 2008 to December 28th 2008 I already claim weekly benefit from that date.
Any way I can not accepted my poor life. Before I cut my poor life I must oneself get a judge job for make an impartial with undercover cop by at least two people with me go to return to the dust of earth.
Already impartial now..cop bring about this shooting. cop must responsible. And you have a nice day.

http://www3.signonsandiego.com/stories/ ... ndex=78428

It appears that this man, like the shooter at VA Tech, is schipzophrenic, and probably has been seriously mentally ill for some time.