You're watching...
New York City authorities hold news conference on fatal workplace attack, police shootout in midtown Manhattan
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
-- Fox News alert now Michael Bloomberg mayor of New York City addressing it.
The press about that shooting that took place outside the Empire State Building let's listen it.
The details about earlier this morning a little after 9 AM.
-- man who had been fired from his job about a year or so began shooting near the Empire State Building and out on the street.
He killed one person and at least nine.
Our shot.
And some may have been shot accidentally by police offices and responded immediately.
And while confronting the suspect and fatally shooting him.
Unfortunately there may have been other victims as well.
All of those are not seriously wounded and there is no expectation that any of them.
Will do anything other than recover quickly.
I ask everyone to keep their victims in there.
Thoughts and and their prayers.
This is a terrible tragedy and there's no doubt that -- situation would have been even more tragic.
But for some extraordinary acts of heroism.
Every day -- now are police officers put their lives on the line to protect us.
They did so again today responding immediately and they were joined by a number of civilians whose bravery and assistance probably also save lives.
And -- -- city as you know is the safest big city in the country and we're on pace to have erected no.
Low number of murders this year.
But we are not immune to the national problem of gun violence.
Let me now turn it over to commissioner telling Brent.
Vegas and I am I want to stress that what we have.
This preliminary information is an ongoing.
Investigation of course.
At 903 this morning.
In front of ten west 33 street.
A disgruntled former employee of -- company at that address.
Shot and killed a former coworker.
Striking him three times.
The subject Jeffrey Johnson age 53.
Then fled eastbound on west 33 street.
The Fifth Avenue when he walked northbound along the curb line.
With a 45 caliber handgun secretive and a black bag that he had on to resolve.
A construction worker who had followed Johnson from west 33 street.
Alerted to uniform police officers who were on post in front of the empire state building's Fifth Avenue entrance.
As part of our counterterrorism coverage.
As the two officers approached Johnson.
He pulled his 45 caliber semiautomatic pistol from his bag and fired on the officers.
Who returned fire killing him.
An additional nine individuals.
-- either wounded or -- during the exchange.
Six of whom were removed to Bellevue hospital.
And three to new York presbyterian.
Cornell medical center.
All are not likely to die.
Johnson had been employed for six years -- has sand imports.
HA ZAA and imports as a designer of women's accessories.
During a downsizing at the company about a year ago Johnson was laid off.
In a dispute with one of that the former employees of has.
In front of the building Johnson produced a pistol and fired at close range.
Striking his 41 year old victim in the head.
There was holding the victim's identity until family notification Jimmy made.
The area in and around the Empire State Building remains an active crime scene with Fifth Avenue closed from just below 42 street.
233.
Street.
33 street is closed between Madison avenue and avenue of Americas thirty -- is closed between seventh and Madison avenue.
-- -- Tom let me -- stress that this is the beginning of an investigation.
There were.
A lot of people that there were injured.
Two were dead the perpetrate here and his victim.
Nobody else thank god.
But the rest is we're doing an investigation be happy to take a few questions but I'm not sure we know any more than what I've just said yes -- That does not appear that he does not appear to have a criminal record but it is at the very beginning of our investigation.
We don't know very much about them we're just starting the investigation we're trying to -- UN because the public is concerned and they should be.
But we just don't know yet about the victim or what interaction had occurred and whether there was any between.
The victim and the the murder -- yes -- There would we know the ages of anybody.
Yes CD.
Shooter -- 53 years of age.
The person who was killed and 41 years of age.
Any of the others yeah we -- -- -- people there are no children.
No children who were shot I would say.
-- and no elderly people and people in American middle age range.
I'm sorry.
I believe there -- two women and seven men.
Yes it.
Walk a block -- maybe.
Yes something like that because the police where they are on their usual -- terrorism assignments.
Saw this went after -- construction worker helped identify them.
They had approached the guy pulled a gun and tried to shoot the cops -- killer cops on the cops return fire.
And that he is that the perpetrators dead yes clarify how many weapons -- weed out and we think there's only two.
Are there there's only one weapon.
From the perpetrate air.
And then of course the police offices in defending themselves yes -- Have what we have no information -- that's the trouble -- will be happy to.
As we get information later in the day one police plaza will be happy to put it out.
But it's just the very preliminary times and we don't want to speculate on everything we do know the number of people shot.
And we do know that the victim is dead and of the arbitrator is dead yes there where construction -- currently now.
Here are my.
I don't know we all use the words hero he did what he should have done he identified what he -- to the police when he saw something he said something and then turned it over to the professionals.
And that's -- yes.
I weekend we don't know there's speculation that that's what happened.
But we do know that the we have on tape.
They perpetrate a -- is -- out and tried to shoot at the cops whether he got off any bullets are not going to be determined.
How many shots earlier -- to be determined we do know that the cops fired back the tape clearly shows the guy has the got out and trying to kill the police officers.
What's the we've just sadness he worked for an apparel company women's apparel yes miss.
We did was still under investigation we don't know every -- did the details are gonna change -- later on today.
One DP will put it out I don't wanna give -- any this information yes miss.
Right now and how long.
Well it's gonna take -- while we always look very shell -- we look for witnesses we look at videos from -- building security cameras.
The police go through way yet.
The time -- -- Holland checklist of looking for evidence without destroying any thing and getting as many witnesses and anybody see anything.
If you call the police department call 311 and they'll connect you.
With the appropriate people and we'd love to have every bit of information.
Take wanna do more because I what is going about the same things I wanna see anybody -- -- -- -- We don't think the government said -- have that would -- me.
It would government's government you know what not as unknown at this time now.
It does it happen very quickly it happened very recently.
We know where we suspect wears a suspect from -- -- he lives in Manhattan.
Yes last question ask.
Mayor also at this point you said that there were multiple shots from officers.
Possibly inadvertently hitting vetting -- -- -- where it's under investigation and we just don't know.
Only two officers and fire shots though is it did then that -- -- We believe I the only shots were fired by the perpetrate air.
And by the police department there's no evidence that anybody else was involved in the police department was two officers who -- -- officer that's correct that's all we know at this point in time.
If it's something different yes if not we're gonna go the same thing yet.
We don't know where it came from everything occurred outside.
And and it happened to be -- the air.
The Empire State Building but as far as we know there was no connection to nobody going in -- out.
The company that he worked for is a local company but not in that the empire state buildings my understanding all right last question as.
Yes it's -- 45 caliber.
There's still that has.
Eight.
Magazine holes eight and yes -- last question -- -- your question.
We just don't now we are -- about it it's much too early.
-- -- what I want to do is assure everybody this is I think it would terrorism.
There is clearly a murderer -- -- and a murder victim.
The police respond dead did very quickly because they were on the scene post where we have though we assign police officers and -- normal course.
I'm protecting this city there were a number shots I had the perpetrators clearly turned his gun on the police and tried to hit.
Shoot them.
Whether he got off any bullets -- just don't know yet.
The cops returned fire killing him that's what we know and that everybody else that was shot was just graze the wire.
Is going to survive there's no reason that is the -- from New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg about shots fired outside the and.
