2009 Binghamton shooting explained

Binghamton shooting
Location:Binghamton, New York, U.S.
Time-Begin:10:30
Time-End:10:33a.m.
Timezone:EDT
Type:Mass shooting, mass murder, murder-suicide
Fatalities:14 (including the perpetrator)
Injuries:4
Perp:Jiverly Antares Wong (born Linh Phat Vuong)
Weapons:
Motive:Possible anti-Americanism and paranoid delusions regarding police intrusion and harassment

On April 3, 2009, a mass shooting occurred at the American Civic Association immigration center in Binghamton, New York. At approximately 10:30 a.m. EDT, Jiverly Antares Wong (also known as Jiverly Voong), a 41-year-old naturalized American citizen who was ethnically Chinese from Vietnam, entered the facility and killed thirteen people and wounded four others before committing suicide.

It is the deadliest mass shooting by a lone gunman in the state of New York.

Shooting

At about 10:30 a.m. EDT, Jiverly Wong barricaded the rear door of the Binghamton American Civic Association building with a vehicle registered in his father's name.[1] [2] He was described as wearing a bullet-proof vest,[3] a bright green nylon jacket, and dark-rimmed glasses.[4]

Wong entered through the front door, firing a number of bullets at people in his path.[1] At 10:30 am, Broome County Communications received several 911 calls, and the first police were dispatched to the scene.[5] Two of the Civic Association's receptionists were among the first victims shot.[6] While one of the receptionists was reported to have been shot through the head and killed,[7] the second, shot in the stomach, feigned death and, when the gunman moved on, took cover under a desk and called 911. The receptionist's call was taken by 911 staff at 10:38 am. The wounded receptionist, 61-year-old Shirley DeLucia, remained on the line for 39 minutes, despite her gunshot wound, and relayed information until she was rescued.[8] She later recounted that the gunman had opened fire without saying anything.

The gunman entered a classroom just off the main reception areas, where an ESL class was being given to students. Out of the 16 people in the room, Wong shot 13 of them, including the professor.[9] He then took dozens of other students hostage.[4] Police arrived within minutes of the 911 calls. Hearing the alarms, Wong committed suicide by shooting himself at 10:33 am, three minutes after he first opened fire.[10] [11] [12] [13] In all, Wong fired 99 rounds: 88 from a 9mm Beretta and 11 from a .45-caliber Beretta.[14] [15]

Police response

Police remained at the perimeter of the property, having locked down nearby Binghamton High School and a number of streets in the area.[16] At one point, not knowing if the gunman was alive or dead, police summoned Broome Community College Assistant Professor Tuong Hung Nguyen, who is fluent in Vietnamese, to help communicate with Wong in the event of contact.[17]

SWAT members entered the Civic Center building and began clearing it at 11:13 am—43 minutes after the first call to the police at 10:30 am, and 40 minutes after patrol officers first arrived on the scene at 10:33 am.[18] At the time of their entry, they had not yet confirmed that Wong had committed suicide, and they proceeded with caution. At approximately noon, ten people left the building, with another ten following approximately forty minutes later.[1] Some of the hostages had escaped to a basement, while more than a dozen remained hidden in a closet.[16] Thanh Huynh, a high school teacher of Vietnamese background, was asked to interpret so the Vietnamese survivors could be interviewed by the police.[19]

Wong was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, in the first-floor classroom with his victims.[20] Items found on Wong's body included a hunting knife in the waistband of his pants; a bag of ammunition which was tied around his neck;[21] and two semi-automatic pistols (a .45-caliber Beretta Px4 Storm and a 9mm Beretta 92FS Vertec Inox matching the serial numbers on his New York State pistol license). Also found at the scene were a number of loaded magazines, at least two empty magazines with a 30-round capacity each, and a firearm laser sight.[14]

By 2:33 pm, SWAT had completed the clearing of the building, and all those inside had been evacuated.[22]

Perpetrator

Jiverly Antares Wong (born Linh Phat Vuong,[23] [24] ; December 8, 1967 – April 3, 2009), a resident of Johnson City, New York, was identified as the perpetrator.[25] [26]

Wong was born into an ethnic Chinese (Chinese Nùng) family in South Vietnam.[27] [28] [29] He and his parents, Henry Voong and Mui Thong, immigrated to New York in the late 1980s; he moved to California some time later. In 1992, Wong was arrested there and convicted of a misdemeanor charge of fraud for forgery.[30] Wong became a naturalized American citizen in November 1995; the following year, he registered a gun in Broome County, New York.

He returned to the U.S., taking up residence in Inglewood, California, in December 1999.[31] In California, Wong registered another gun. While living there, Wong married and later divorced Xiu Ping Jiang. The couple had no children.[32] Wong worked for almost seven years as a delivery man for Kikka Sushi, a catering company located in Los Angeles.

Wong failed to show up to work one day in July 2007, having moved to Binghamton, New York, that month, near his parents.[33] Later, he called the company to get a copy of his W-2 earnings statement in 2008, asking that it be forwarded to a New York state address.[34] Although early reports suggested Wong had recently lost his job at a local IBM plant in nearby Endicott, New York,[25] IBM said they had no records showing Wong had ever worked for the company. Wong worked at a local Shop-Vac vacuum cleaner plant until it closed in November 2008.[35]

Wong had been taking English classes at the center, beginning in January 2009 and continuing through March. His attendance was intermittent, and he stopped coming altogether. He shot the students and teacher in the classroom where he had formerly attended sessions.

Possible motives

Several sources suggested possible motives for Wong's attack, including feelings of being "degraded and disrespected" for his poor English language skills, depression over losing his job, and difficulty in finding work in New York. A few years before the killings, he had worked as an engineer at Endicott Interconnect Technologies, a high-tech electronics company. In 2004, the company laid off five percent of its workforce. A coworker from that time said of him, "He was quiet—not a violent person" and "I can't believe he would do something like this."[36] Press TV noted that Pakistani Taliban leader Baitullah Mehsud claimed responsibility for the shooting, saying, "They were my men. I gave them orders in reaction to US drone attacks." However, a spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation discounted the claim as inconsistent with their evidence that Wong was the lone gunman.[37]

Binghamton Police Chief Joseph Zikuski said, "From the people close to him ... this action he took was not a surprise to them."[11] Wong had allegedly made comments such as "America sucks" and talked about assassinating President Barack Obama to his former coworkers at Shop Vac.[38]

Package mailed to TV station

Several days after the shooting, an envelope was received by the Syracuse, New York, TV station News 10 Now dated March 18, 2009, and postmarked April 3, 2009, the day of the shooting.[39] The three stamps used for the postage were a Liberty Bell and two Purple Hearts.

The package contained a two-page handwritten letter; photos of Wong, holding guns while smiling; a gun permit; and Wong's driver's license. Of the letter itself, most of its content was a rambling, paranoid accusation of perceived police misconduct and persecution of him, especially through "secret" visits to his residences.[40]

Victims

Wong killed 13 people and critically wounded four. An account of each of the victims was published in The New York Times on April 6, 2009.[41]

Killed

Wounded

The injured were treated for gunshot wounds at Wilson Medical Center in Johnson City and Our Lady of Lourdes Memorial Hospital in Binghamton.[48] [49]

Response

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. News: Hostages Taken in Binghamton, N.Y. . April 3, 2009 . April 3, 2009 . . Robert D. . McFadden . April 2, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190402145009/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/nyregion/04hostage.html . live.
  2. Web site: Negotiators Work to Save Victims and Suspects . . April 3, 2009 . April 8, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190408115806/https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=7250177&page=1 . live.
  3. News: As NY gunman's life unraveled, he took others' . Rubinkam . Michael . April 4, 2009 . . April 5, 2009 . April 8, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090408071104/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gJkIIKfdTrpMZyiQPW7SWmCNR2HAD97BV6580 . dead.
  4. News: Gunman Kills 13, Himself at Upstate New York Immigrant Center . Donaldson-Evans . Catherine . April 3, 2009 . . April 3, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090406124723/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,512476,00.html . April 6, 2009 . dead.
  5. News: Police paint rescue timeline . April 5, 2009 . April 6, 2009 . WBNG-TV . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090408190859/http://www.wbng.com/news/shooting/42499947.html . April 8, 2009.
  6. News: AP Top News at 5:38 p.m. . April 3, 2009 . The Associated Press . April 3, 2009 . April 6, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090406122859/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g8-DEMtAE9q4i4ySQ0eV_qZefmRQD97B83N81 . dead.
  7. News: Gunman Kills at Least 13 in Binghamton, N.Y. . Branigin . William . April 3, 2009 . . April 3, 2009 . December 3, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161203154842/http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/03/AR2009040301774.html?hpid=topnews . live.
  8. News: Gunman blocks N.Y. center's door, kills 13, self . William . Kates . . April 3, 2009 . April 3, 2009 . March 3, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303195832/http://www.mercurynews.com/crime/ci_12068204 . live.
  9. Web site: American Civic Association Shooting: After-Action Report & Improvement Plan . Beck Disaster Recovery . September 2009 . October 18, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20160303210515/http://gobroomecounty.com/files/pdfs/Broome%20County%20ACA%20Shooting%20After%20Action%20Report.pdf . March 3, 2016 . dead.
  10. Web site: Binghamton Rampage Leaves 14 Dead, Police Don't Know Motive . April 3, 2009 . April 3, 2009 . . April 5, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190405114542/https://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=7249853&page=1 . live.
  11. News: Police say N.Y. immigrant shooter's act no surprise . April 4, 2009 . . April 5, 2009.
  12. News: As gunman's life fell apart, he took others' . April 4, 2009 . April 4, 2009 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090408164321/http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090405/ap_on_re_us/binghamton_shootings . April 8, 2009.
  13. News: Official: Hostages held after 'multiple' shootings . April 3, 2009 . April 3, 2009 . . September 10, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190910120433/http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/03/binghamton.shooting/index.html . live.
  14. News: Binghamton Killer Fired 99 Shots From Two Handguns, Police Say . Green . Peter S. . April 8, 2009 . Bloomberg.com . April 8, 2009 . February 23, 2012 . https://web.archive.org/web/20120223053209/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=newsarchive&sid=ajZkPiomE8g4 . dead.
  15. News: Police: Shooter unloads 98 rounds in rampage . Hill . John . April 7, 2009 . Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin . April 7, 2009.
  16. News: Man shoots at least 12, takes 41 hostage in New York . April 3, 2009 . April 3, 2009 . The Irish Times.
  17. News: IBM denies Hinchey claim that shooter was laid off from IBM . Press Connect . April 3, 2009.
  18. News: Questions remain in aftermath of NY shootings . April 6, 2009 . Rubinkam . Michael . Associated Press . April 8, 2009 . April 9, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090409074720/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gJkIIKfdTrpMZyiQPW7SWmCNR2HAD97CR9B00 . dead.
  19. News: In a Town With Few Immigrants, an Unlikely Horror . Fernandez . Manny . April 3, 2009 . . April 3, 2009 . April 9, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090409050801/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/04/nyregion/04civic.html . live.
  20. News: Police: 14 killed in NY immigrant center shooting . Kates . William . April 3, 2009 . . April 3, 2009 . April 6, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090406052426/http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iTkwh0jekRrls-b8ugkObNpK6XsQD97B7TGG0 . dead.
  21. News: Binghamton, N.Y., gunman kills 13 . Muskal . Michael . April 3, 2009 . . April 3, 2009 . December 10, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191210073851/http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-binghamton-shooting-hostage4-2009apr04,0,4181574.story . live.
  22. News: Binghamton in shock as police investigate mass murder . Baker . Robert A. . April 3, 2009 . . April 7, 2009 . April 6, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090406001537/http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/building_cleared_after_a_day_o.html . live.
  23. Web site: Jiverly Wong's father: What prompted mass killing in Binghamton remains a mystery . Huynh . Ngoc . April 13, 2009 . syracuse . en . December 2, 2019 . November 5, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20191105141356/https://www.syracuse.com/news/2009/04/jiverly_wongs_father_our_son_w.html . live.
  24. Web site: Police: 14 killed in NY immigrant center shooting . Group . Sinclair Broadcast . April 3, 2009 . WPDE . December 2, 2019 . February 13, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230213082644/https://wpde.com/news/local/police-14-killed-in-ny-immigrant-center-shooting-10-23-2015 . live.
  25. News: NY gunman angry over poor English skills, job loss . Kates . William . April 4, 2009 . Associated Press . April 4, 2009 . December 30, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181230233322/https://tucson.com/news/ny-gunman-angry-over-poor-english-skills-job-loss/article_68e414b1-6b65-5e59-a5aa-387bd218b457.html . live.
  26. News: Killer Complained of 'Poor Life' in Letter . Thompson . Carolyn . Associated Press . AOL News . April 6, 2009 . https://archive.today/20090410004045/http://news.aol.com/article/binghamton-shooting/414210?icid=main . April 10, 2009 . April 7, 2009 . live.
  27. News: Shooting in Binghamton, N.Y. . Seelye . Katharine Q . April 3, 2009 . . April 3, 2009 . February 11, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20180211193206/https://thelede.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/shooting-in-binghamton/ . live.
  28. News: Sister of Binghamton gunman Jiverly Wong says family didn't know he would explode . Siemaszko . Corky . April 6, 2009 . . April 6, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090408042849/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/04/06/2009-04-06_sister_of_binghamton_gunman_jiverly_wong.html . April 8, 2009 . dead.
  29. https://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090404/ap_on_re_us/binghamton_shootings As gunman's life fell apart, he took others'
  30. Web site: Families Bury Binghamton, N.Y. Shooting Victims; New Details Emerge About Gunman . Maskaly . Michelle . foxnews.com . April 5, 2009 . April 5, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090406181435/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,512605,00.html . April 6, 2009 . dead.
  31. Web site: Families Bury Binghamton, N.Y. Shooting Victims; New Details Emerge About Gunman . . April 5, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090406181435/http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,512605,00.html . April 6, 2009 . dead.
  32. News: No way police could have saved Jiverly Wong's 13 Binghamton victims, officials say . April 7, 2009 . . April 5, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090407093950/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/04/05/2009-04-05_no_way_police_could_have_saved_jiverly_w.html . April 7, 2009.
  33. News: NY gunman fired 98 shots in about a minute, police chief says . . April 8, 2009 . April 8, 2009 . April 11, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090411102837/http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/08/ny.shooting/index.html?iref=mpstoryview . live.
  34. News: Shootings in Binghamton, N.Y., 'truly an American tragedy' . Baum . Geraldine . Anna . Gorman . April 3, 2009 . . April 4, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090404134122/http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-binghamton-shooting-hosta-2009apr04%2C0%2C956695.story . April 4, 2009.
  35. News: Community looks for answers . Hill . John . Dooling . Nancy . April 5, 2009 . stargazette.com . April 7, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090408235922/http://www.stargazette.com/article/20090405/NEWS01/904050364/1117 . April 8, 2009.
  36. News: 'No yelling, just silence, shooting.' a witness says . CNN . April 4, 2009 . April 6, 2009 . September 10, 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190910120433/http://edition.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/03/binghamton.shooting/index.html . live.
  37. News: April 4, 2009 . Pakistani Taliban leader claims responsibility for Binghamton shooting; authorities quickly refute . . March 5, 2014 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131031072242/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/world/pakistani-taliban-leader-claims-responsibility-binghamton-shooting-authorities-quickly-refute-article-1.359322 . October 31, 2013.
  38. News: Who is Jiverly Voong aka Jiverly Wong? Conflicting picture of Binghamton gunman emerges . Kemp . Joe . . April 4, 2009 . April 5, 2009 . April 7, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090407060151/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/04/04/2009-04-04_who_is_jiverly_voong_aka_jiverly_wong_co.html . live.
  39. News: READ IT: Transcript of letter purportedly sent by NY gunman . April 6, 2009 . April 6, 2009 . orlandosentinel.com . Associated Press . https://web.archive.org/web/20090410205920/http://www.orlandosentinel.com/orl-bk-ny-gunman-letter-040609,0,6483348.story . April 10, 2009 . dead.
  40. News: Image of Wong's letter to News 10 Now . . Jiverly . Wong . April 6, 2009 . April 19, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090419062117/http://graphics8.nytimes.com/packages/pdf/nyregion/2009/20090407_WONG_LETTER.pdf . live.
  41. News: Binghamton Victims Shared a Dream of Living Better Lives . Fernandez . Manny . Hernandez . Javier . April 5, 2009 . . April 6, 2009 . November 19, 2016 . https://web.archive.org/web/20161119185342/http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/06/nyregion/06victims.html . live.
  42. News: Two victims will be buried today . April 5, 2009 . pressconnects.com . April 5, 2009.
  43. Web site: Professor brasileiro é um dos 14 mortos no massacre de NY . estadao.com . April 5, 2009 . April 5, 2009 . April 8, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090408065422/http://www.estadao.com.br/noticias/internacional,professor-brasileiro-e-um-dos-14-mortos-no-massacre-de-ny,350457,0.htm . live.
  44. News: Police defend response to Binghamton mass shooting . April 5, 2009 . . April 6, 2009 . April 6, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090406141523/http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/05/binghamton.shooting/index.html?eref=rss_topstories . live.
  45. News: Gunman had lost job, felt "degraded" . Harnandez . Javier C . Rivera, Ray . April 5, 2009 . . April 5, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090406183655/http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2008986728_shoot05.html . April 6, 2009.
  46. News: Teacher at Civic Association among dead . https://archive.today/20130201103405/http://pressconnects.com/article/20090404/NEWS01/90404014 . dead . February 1, 2013 . April 4, 2009 . Press & Sun-Bulletin . April 4, 2009.
  47. News: Binghamton massacre victim brought joy to those around her, pal recalls . Lysiak . Matt . Goldsmith . Samuel . April 5, 2009 . . April 5, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090407093939/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2009/04/05/2009-04-05_binghamton_massacre_victim_brought_joy_t.html . April 7, 2009 . dead.
  48. News: Gunman barricaded back door before rampage, police say . Candiotti . Susan . Marylynn . Ryan . Carol . Crattydate . . April 3, 2009 . April 3, 2009 . April 6, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090406034851/http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/04/03/binghamton.shooting/index.html . live.
  49. Web site: Governor confirms fatalities in NY state shooting . April 3, 2009 . . April 3, 2009 . December 30, 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20181230081115/https://www.dailybreeze.com/2009/04/03/governor-confirms-fatalities-in-ny-state-shooting/ . live.
  50. News: Binghamton Shooting Victims Identified . Phillips . Matt . April 4, 2009 . . April 5, 2009 . April 6, 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150406134252/http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB123884969179589719 . live.
  51. News: Family shattered by Binghamton massacre . Parent . Marie-Joelle . . April 6, 2009 . April 8, 2009 . September 28, 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110928083934/http://www.winnipegsun.com/news/world/2009/04/06/9031616-sun.html . live.
  52. News: Survivor of Binghamton massacre tried in vain to save his wife . Kemp . Joe . Matthew . Lysiak . Samuel . Goldsmith . . April 6, 2009 . April 8, 2009 . April 8, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090408042811/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/2009/04/06/2009-04-06_survivor_of_binghamton_massacre_tried_in.html . live.
  53. Web site: Obama calls Binghamton shooting act of 'senseless violence' . . Syracuse.com . April 3, 2009 . April 18, 2009 . April 7, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090407100114/http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/04/obama_calls_binghamton_shootin.html . live.
  54. Web site: Governor Paterson Directs flags to be flown at half staff for Binghamton Tragedy Victims . WBNG News . April 6, 2009 . April 18, 2009 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090408192412/http://www.wbng.com/news/shooting/42531362.html . April 8, 2009.
  55. Web site: Parents of Jiverly Wong apologize for shooting at immigration center in Binghamton, NY . April 14, 2009 . syracuse.com . April 18, 2009 . April 17, 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20090417055034/http://www.syracuse.com/today/index.ssf/2009/04/parents_of_jiverly_wong_apolog.html . live.