2 Dead After Shooting At The Empire State Building

UPDATED. A gunman opened fire this morning outside the Empire State Building in New York City.

In a NYPD press conference, the gunman was identified as 56-year-old Jeffrey Johnson. He was fired a year ago from Hazan Imports, where he was a women’s accessories designer. He shot his former employer three times, then fled.

According to NYPD, some of the 10 victims who were shot afterward could have been shot by police officers pursuing Johnson. The two deaths include Johnson and his former employer. All other victims are expected to survive.

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE POST

2. Scene outside the Empire State Building

Via: @NYCphotos

3. NY Police Scanner: 7 people shot

Via: @NYScanner

4. NYPD confirms that the gunman is dead

Via: @NBCNews

From witnesses reporting on Reddit:

“I was on the bus right there when it happened. At least four people got shot. Two on the northwest side of the street, one empire state building ticket guy in the middle of the crosswalk, and someone on the southwest corner. That was terrifying.”

“There is a man with a bullet in his head in front of my building at 10w 33rd. His blood had just reached the gutters when I arrived. I looked at his corpse for about 1 second and felt all the hair on my body rise— it is the first corpse I have ever seen as a result of violence.”

WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGES BELOW

7. Photos from the scene.

Source: instagr.am

Via: mcmphotography

Via: mcmphotography

Photo by BuzzFeed’s Michael Schmidt.

Via: instagram.com

The New York Post has a very graphic, chilling video of the victims. This graphic photo is believed to be an image of the dead shooter, based on the guard around him and the color of his shirt, which NBC New York reported to be green.

13. Helicopters surrounding Empire State Building, as seen from the BuzzFeed offices.

BuzzFeed’s Lauren Yapalater was at the Empire State Building this morning. “I heard someone shout ‘Gun!’ and I ran,” she said.