Empire State Shooting

NY on a Friday summer morning shouldn't be so sad! With most people heading out to the Hamptons to begin celebrating the end of summer, a crazed gunman with a sawed off shotgun decided to light up the Empire State Building area at 34th & 5th avenue this morning. More about the shooting and pics after the jump...




Per CNN:

New York (CNN) -- A shooting at the Empire State Building -- one of the most iconic tourist destinations in New York -- killed two people and wounded at least eight others Friday, a law enforcement official said.


The shooter, who was one of the two killed, was shot dead by police, the New York Police Department said.

Witnesses say the gunman was wielding a large gun and was shot at least three times.
They say a security guard chased him down 5th Avenue, and helped alert police.
Local and federal authorities converged on the building around 9 a.m. after reports of gunfire, and have since closed several streets around 5th Avenue and 34th Street in Manhattan.
New York resident Max Kaplan, 22, said he heard at least nine gunshots. He said several ambulances have arrived at the scene.
"We're all very shaken up at the office," Kaplan said.

New York resident Rebecca Fox -- who works across the street from the Empire State Building -- said she had been getting coffee with her headphones on when she saw people running.
Fox then said she saw a woman who had been shot near the midtown Heartland Brewery, as well as blood on the sidewalk.
"It's just a crazy scene here," she said.


The Empire State Building is one of the most famous skyscrapers in the world, and one of New York City's best-known tourist attractions.
Each year, about 4 million people visit the building's two observation decks. At more than 1,453 feet tall, the landmark building reaches more than a quarter-mile into the sky.
"There's always a focus and concentration on the building," said retired police officer Lou Palumbo. "That building gets special attention."


More pics from the horriffic scene below: