...a former colleague near the Empire State Building in NYC.


NEW YORK — A disgruntled former women’s accessories designer shot a former colleague to death Friday and then was killed in a shootout with police near the Empire State Building that left nine others wounded, officials said.

The nine people wounded in the gunfire after 9 a.m. on the Fifth Avenue side of the building were expected to survive, police said. After the shootout, crowds of tourists and people on their way to work gathered along 34th Street, which was shut down by police. Police helicopters buzzed overhead and swarms of officers were gathered around the crime scene.

Jeffrey Johnson, 53, was laid off about a year ago at Hazan Imports and targeted a 41-year-old former colleague, shooting the man in the head, Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said.

A construction worker followed Johnson, then spoke to police nearby. Johnson turned his .45-caliber pistol on officers and they returned fire, Kelly said. Johnson was shot and killed by police.

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People like this SUCK!!! Look at all the people who are in the same boat as him unemployed. Myself being in that same boat twice since 2007. Get over it & move on to your next work chapter. Now because of his actions someone will not have a father, brother or son home tonight.

VERY stupid and pointless... IMO...
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Ron- you worked with the victim at one time?
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Another senseless shooting. I don't think I'll ever understand why people do something like this. Prayers sent to the victims and their families.
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Thoughts and prayers for all the victims and their families.
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Wait what? No! I saw this on the news site and thought WTF? Another person going postal. :-)
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Those tough gun laws really do the trick, don't they?
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Yeah, I read it as:

Disgruntled Unemployed Man Shoots a former colleague near the Empire State Building in NYC

I was thinking a guy shot of former colleague of YOURS. Completely the way I read it -- sorry for the panic.
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I just don't understand how losing a job can cause someone to do this... I can't imagine being so attached to a job or the pay that I need to take another person's life.
Scott
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No good...times are hard, but violence is never the answer...
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I also saw that there were 19 people (mostly young kids) that were injured in I think 7 different shootings last night in Chicago. WTF?
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I have read that the police were the ones that shot the nine bystanders, and that the suspect was shot while trying to draw his gun. Anyone else seeing that?
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I have heard that report but the news media makes it out like the Police intentionally shot the bystanders but what probably happened is that the bullets bounced off the cement building and hit the bystanders. But I have a feeling that its going to come down on the Police hard for this one since the media is portraying it differently.

Just my two cents
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Yeah, I don't know. I know in Seattle, they stopped paying for the officers range time and don't enforce their practice with service weapons like they use to. Hopefully something like this will reverse that trend.
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No problem! :-)


I did see someone go off the deep end at work once. Some guy in another group was let go on a Friday. Come Monday, he calls in to work asking in they could reconsider. They tell him no. So, he comes in on Tuesday demanding to talk to his supervisor, and goes into the front office wanting to kick some a$$. There I was sitting there doing my job and I see the HR manager and a couple of other guys pretty much bum-rushing the guy out of the building
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People are insane.
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It is best not to pass judgement on folks too quickly. There are too many variables as to what one's motives are. As the old saying goes, "...until you have walked a mile in their shoes." Who knows what pushed this guy over the edge and what measures he did or did not attempt to alleviate his situation before he finally snapped. Also, who knows why he targeted this particular "colleague."

I think I will go and read the full article now.
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Bingo. "...until you have walked a mile in their shoes."

I read it, it sounds like there was an apparent false harassment suit against the shooter by the victim. He apparently must think that he got canned in the layoff because of this. And who knows, there was probably a larger history than most people even know about.

From the report, it sounds completely premeditated. He waited outside for the victim to arrive at work, walked up behind him, and shot him in the head. And then shot him again another 4 more times on the ground. I can't even fathom the hatred the shooter had for the victim.

Believe me, I got laid off and took me forever to get a job. During that time, days ticking away, no job, no income, it sucks. That alone could be enough to send a mentally unstable person over the edge. If someone truly believes that the cause to their problems is someone else, you can seriously begin to drum up some hatred for that person.

Not defending the shooter at all. Just my take on it all. I certainly feel for the victims family. Senseless loss of life. But the victim might have been the aggressor between the two men at one point in time as well, we will probably never know.
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Went to school with the owner of the shop, Hazan Imports
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