Shooting at Empire State Building kills 2, injures 8

A shooting incident took place near Empire State Building on Friday, when a frustrated former worker killed two people and left several others wounded.

The shooter was later identified as Jeffery Johnson, 58. He was killed in the exchange of fire between him and the police. A total of 14 rounds were fired by the Police after Johnson tried shooting at them.

The shooting incident was captured on video by an Australian tourist. The footage shows two Police officers drawing their guns over a man lying on his back. People are increasingly searching for the video online and it’s become a hot, trending topic on Google Trends.

Police have stated that the shooter was a disgruntled employee who had been laid off from his job. He worked at Hazan Imports, where he designed women accessories. Johnson had long been at loggerheads with the victim over allegations of harassment at workplace.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg stated that none of the wounded was critically injured. He further added that the shooter had no previous criminal record, but investigations were underway to double check for any past criminal activity. Nothing has been confirmed from his previous workplace either, so unless official reports are out, the shooter’s criminal record will remain a mystery.

Both men had registered their complaints, but Johnson chose to solve the matter by himself fatally shooting the 41-year-old.

Rebecca Fox, an eyewitness, said, "It's just a crazy scene here," according to CNN.

Another witness named Max Kaplan said, "We're all very shaken up at the office."

The victim was identified as Steven Ercolino, 41. Andrea, who identified herself as his sister in law, said he was a fun-loving, compassionate and generous person. He loved his family very much and was a complete family man. He was very passionate about his work. "He had an incredible life ahead of him," she said.

The Empire State Building Co. released a statement, saying the building was fully operational and investigations were underway and with time more details would be revealed regarding the tragic incident.