The Empire State Building located in midtown Manhattan was the scene of a deadly shooting that claimed the life of two people and injured nine others. An armed suspect, identified as Jeffrey Johnson, was ultimately shot dead by police after he opened fire on his former boss. The boss, 41-year old Steven Ercolino, was killed by the gunman. Police then shot 53-year old Johnson near the entrance of the tourist attraction on West 33rd Street.
The gunman apparently followed Ercolino down the street after losing his job last year at Hazan Imports due to downsizing within the company. The victim was shot on the street and it is possible the gunman also fired into the crowds of pedestrians nearby. Police and the suspect engaged in gunfire and there have not been confirmation that injured pedestrians were caught in the crossfire between the police and the shooter or if the gunman had sent bullets into the crowd.
There were several witnesses to the shooting who reported the incident to police. The injured passerbys were all expected to recover from their injuries and no serious wounds were reported. It is possible the injured victims were hit by police bullets but the investigation is still ongoing. The area surrounding the Empire State Building was blocked off by police as interviews were conducted by police and the media.
Johnson was employed as a women’s accessories designer. Ercolino was the Vice President of Hazan Imports at the time of the shooting.