Gunshots inside City Hall approx. 2:10 p.m. NYC

[NYC]

Gunshots on second floor of City Hall.

About a dozen gunshots at approx. 2:10 p.m. Everybody out of the buidling now, it seems.

Police there with "uzis and machine guns" per reporter. Police have Broadway and Park Row blocked off to prevent escape.

Nothing known yet. Something to do with City Council meeting. Stan Brooks of WINS said gunshots, screaming, people running out.

Ambulance has arrived. At least one person injured.

Update: Shots came from balcony.

[eek]

1. nothing on NY1 site yet

n/t

[NYC]

2. Should be soon.

According to Stan Brooks, all the journalists were diving for cover. Must be others reporting currently.

[NYC]

3. Stretcher carried inside.

All gates closed.

[NYC]

4. A second stretcher.

More police arriving all the time.

Traffic coming off Brooklyn Bridge has been stopped.

[greyl]

5. msnbc tv has it

cspan? msnbc? cspan? msnbc? what to do what to do...

[Emboldened Chimp]

6. What's the source

CNN, MSNBC, FOX?

[NYC]

8. WINS radio reporter was in the building.

Mayor was in his office, but was evacuated quickly.

Nobody in City Hall now, it seems. Just the police.

1010 a.m. WINS radio.

[amish_enforcer]

7. Faux

...declares that two officers were shot, but no details besides that

http://www.foxnews.com/

[NYC]

9. Stan Brooks said he MAY have heard more gunshots, but he's not sure.

Helicopters now. Carol of WINS said police were NOT shot. Civilians were shot.

[eek]

13. ok, up on NY1

http://www.ny1.com/

[NewYorkerfromMass]

15. better link at NYTimes

"...A witness, Tom Curry, said a man on the second-floor balcony pulled a handgun and began firing across at a second man. Curry, an attorney for the City Council, had no further details.

The entrances and exits to the building were sealed off, and a stretcher was rushed inside by police in flak jackets."

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/23/nyregion/23WIRE-HALL.html?hp

[NYC]

16. NY1 is overloaded,

and I'm having a terrible time posting here.

NY1:
Due to heavy web traffic, you have been redirected to this simplified NY1 homepage.

[NYC]

10. Police are now running down the street, perhaps chasing someone.

Running with guns drawn.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

11. That place is a citadel

There is no way you could get out it is so heavily guarded.

[amish_enforcer]

12. Are you within visual distance? n/t

[NYC]

14. No, and they are pushing reporters farther away now.

.

[NYC]

17. Just heard it was a man firing the shots.

.

[NYC]

18. City clerk said 3 people hit, one a city council member.

Victor Robles is City Clerk.

City Council member = James __________, a former police officer. Not sure he is the one hit.

Councilman Mike McMahon was on floor of chamber. Half of council members had assembled.

Mike McMahon saying: Gentleman in late 40s in cream colored suit. After hitting someone, he fired 4 or 5 more shots into victim.

Assailant has been shot, McMahon doesn't know by whom. He knows of only 2 people shot, not 3.

One fatality. Must be the person who was hit 4 or 5 times. Not sure of identity of deceased.

[NewYorkerfromMass]

19. James Davis nt

[NYC]

20. Plain clothes police from the first floor seem to be the ones

who shot the assailant, but not sure because they were in plain clothes.

[TahitiNut]

21. Doing CPR to two victims on stretchers.

They appear to be male and uniformed (although stripped down). Just carried out, placed on gurneys, and put in ambulances.

On edit: Just shown on WABC feed to CNN.

[NYC]

23. Carol of WINS said definitely NOT police who were shot.

.

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

22. Any word on who or why?

Is this a random psycho? Has anyone suggested terrorism? How many people are hurt???

[NYC]

24. 2 or 3 people hurt. Not clear yet.

The gunman fired 4 or 5 shots into his victim. Sounds to me as though he had an intended target, not terrorism.

[NYC]

25. Shooter still at large????

According to Billionaire Bloomberg, the police have a description of the shooter, and are searching for him. That's a change in the story.

[NYC]

26. 5 p.m. Bloomberg press conference.

Ch. 2 CBS, but probably will be on many stations.

[NYC]

27. Nathaniel Askew named as gunman.

He was planning on running against James Davis.

[pschoeb]

28. Othniel Boaz Askew

Othniel Boaz Askew is the Davis challenger.

http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:J5FAbCvqJGwJ:www.gothamgazette.com/searchlight/council.candidates.2003.shtml+Othniel+Boaz+Askew&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

Patrick Schoeb