Binghamton Gunman Was Apparently Depressed About Job Loss and Poor English Skills

WNYC News | Jul 12, 2010

New York, NY —

The man who police say killed 13 people in a shooting rampage inside an immigrant community center in Binghamton was depressed and angry over losing his job and about his poor English skills, according to police and the city's mayor.

Police Chief Joseph Zikuski told NBC's "Today" that people "degraded and disrespected" the gunman over his poor English. Mayor Matthew Ryan, speaking on ABC's "Good Morning America," said the man is believed to be 42-year-old Vietnamese immigrant Jiverly Voong.

On Friday, he barricaded the American Civic Association community center's back door with his car, walked in the front and started shooting with two handguns. Within minutes, a receptionist, 12 immigrants taking a citizenship class and the gunman were dead. Another receptionist, who played dead after she was shot in the abdomen, called 911 to get police to the scene within two minutes.

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