Full report on BBC News Online

A gunman has killed at least 12 people after taking dozens hostage in the US state of New York, the governor says.

One suspected gunman was later found dead inside the immigration centre in Binghamton, federal officials told the Associated Press news agency.

The police are reported to have taken two other people from the building in plastic handcuffs.

Many people are reported to have been injured during the shooting, north-west of New York City.

New York State Governor David Paterson confirmed that 12 or 13 people had been killed.

He said the situation was still developing but that it was a "tragic day for New York".

"We are monitoring the situation and I have directed the State Police to assist the Binghamton Police Department in any way they can," he told reporters.

An unnamed law enforcement official told the Associated Press that the FBI had sent negotiators to the scene.

At least four people were earlier seen being carried away from the building on stretchers. Their condition was not known.

A spokeswoman for Our Lady of Lourdes hospital told the BBC several people had been admitted with "serious" injuries.

Susan Linerode said the hospital was expecting to receive more casualties and staff had been told to stay at work.

We seem to be having quite a few outburst-mass-murders happening lately.  I wonder what's the deal? ???

We seem to be having quite a few outburst-mass-murders happening lately.  I wonder what's the deal? ???
Can it be down to the availablility of firearms in your country?

Can it be down to the availablility of firearms in your country?


That would not explain the recent outburst though.  Heck, we've always been an armed encampment in the U.S. of A. Note that our War of Independence was fought mainly as a guerilla war using citizens sporting their own Kentucky and Pennsylvania rifles. 

And one of the mass murders was at a German school.

I remember way back, when Johnny Wadd was involved in a quadruple-bludgeoning-murder situation and it was a big headline in the US.  Today a quadruple murder hardly makes the policr blotter section.  :-\\

Can it be down to the availablility of firearms in your country?
No! Perish the thought! If everyone had an RPG, we'd all be totally safe!

Actually, i'm inclined to think this is probably a leading indicator of civilization's collapse. humanity really seems to be circling the drain to me at the moment. but maybe i'm just in a bad mood.

interesting it was at an immigrant center. how much you wanna bet this guy ends up being a lou dobbs or glenn beck fan.

i guess i shouldn't try to politicize this but there was that guy in kentucky who wanted to kill all the liberals on jonah goldberg's hit list, you got michelle bachmann openly calling for the overthrow of the US government, there's just a part of the right wing that's totally, openly going full unabomber at the moment. and you never want to go full unabomber.

So very tragic!  :\'(

Can it be down to the availablility of firearms in your country?


If that were the case, we'd have nonstop massacres.

The gun to person ratio in America is something like 5 to 1.  If I'm not mistaken, the ratio is even higher in Canada (but that mostly includes rifles).

If that were the case, we'd have nonstop massacres.

The gun to person ratio in America is something like 5 to 1.  If I'm not mistaken, the ratio is even higher in Canada (but that mostly includes rifles).



Nah, the guns per capita figure for the U.S. of A. back in 2007 was about 90 guns per 100 people.

Of course you have people like me who have three, who are driving the curve...

If that guy in Binghampton woulda shown up at my house, it would have been raining lead from the skies.

no word on motive yet but he apparently was just laid off or fired from IBM. so it was maybe yet another instance of someone falling through the cracks, facing financial ruin and deciding if his life was wasted anyway, why not go on a killing spree.

Nah, the guns per capita figure for the U.S. of A. back in 2007 was about 90 guns per 100 people.

Of course you have people like me who have three, who are driving the curve...

If that guy in Binghampton woulda shown up at my house, it would have been raining lead from the skies.


My mistake...  the 5 to 1 ratio applies to Canadians.

no word on motive yet but he apparently was just laid off or fired from IBM. so it was maybe yet another instance of someone falling through the cracks, facing financial ruin and deciding if his life was wasted anyway, why not go on a killing spree.


So...it is probably a case of gun availablilty coupled with the entire world being in a bad mood! We will be seeing more of this type of incident....

We seem to be having quite a few outburst-mass-murders happening lately.  I wonder what's the deal? ???


The economy SUUUUCKS and there's a lot of TENSION out there!!!

Say a prayer to the Lady of Lourdes for those 12 poor souls.
:\'(

it's starting to feel a bit like we're all living in one of those future-shock sci-fi movies they used to make all the time.  :-\\

the cops just searched his home. sounds like they found a ton of stuff. i'm very, very curious whose faces were on his shrine and his enemies lists.

That would not explain the recent outburst though.  Heck, we've always been an armed encampment in the U.S. of A. Note that our War of Independence was fought mainly as a guerilla war using citizens sporting their own Kentucky and Pennsylvania rifles. 

And one of the mass murders was at a German school.

I remember way back, when Johnny Wadd was involved in a quadruple-bludgeoning-murder situation and it was a big headline in the US.  Today a quadruple murder hardly makes the policr blotter section.   :-\\


Johnny didn't shoot nobody though...right?

Johnny didn't shoot nobody though...right?


The deaths that Johnny witnessed were a bludgeoning.

Some people have theorized that the bludgeoning was actually a tragic accident.  The theory is that John was startled by something and suddenly turned around, and then... well you can imagine...


;D

Can it be down to the availablility of firearms in your country?


Now what are you talking about?  Drudge Report today....

http://i39.tinypic.com/10wrxvs.jpg

wonkette ran that picture today.

What's most shocking about this sort of tragedy is that it is no longer shocking when we hear about them taking place, as it's almost become a daily occurence. I firmly believe these sort of violent events will continue to increase in a dramatic fashion as the anger, fear, desperation and loss of hope that is coinciding with the terrifying crumbling of our global economy, a climate gone out of control, the unraveling of the moral fiber than once held society together and a startling disconnection from reality that has us all in a vise-like grip.

The leader of the Taliban in Pakistan claims he was behind the attack on an immigration cente in the US which left 13 people dead.

"I accept resonsibility. They were my men. I gave them orders in reaction to US drone attacks," Baitullah Mehsud told a news agency.

As I type this, there is a police standoff here in Picksburgh in the Stanton Heights area.

Two or three cops have been shot so far.  (reports vary).  Channel 11 news (WIIC) was running live and there was about a one-minute blast of continual gunfire.  Sounded to me like maybe the SWAT team was blasting the heck outta the perp's house.  Was definitely semiautomatic ordnance.

Cops have ordered the media to move back another block and a half and asked to stop broadcasting the gunshots, else the perp could gain advantage.

The leader of the Taliban in Pakistan claims he was behind the attack on an immigration cente in the US which left 13 people dead.

"I accept resonsibility. They were my men. I gave them orders in reaction to US drone attacks," Baitullah Mehsud told a news agency.

he should claim responsibility for hurricane katrina while he's at it.  ::)

he should claim responsibility for hurricane katrina while he's at it.  ::)


"Mehsudy, you're doing one heck of a job..."

;D

As I type this, there is a police standoff here in Picksburgh in the Stanton Heights area.

Two or three cops have been shot so far.  (reports vary).  Channel 11 news (WIIC) was running live and there was about a one-minute blast of continual gunfire.  Sounded to me like maybe the SWAT team was blasting the heck outta the perp's house.  Was definitely semiautomatic ordnance.

Cops have ordered the media to move back another block and a half and asked to stop broadcasting the gunshots, else the perp could gain advantage.


Turns out 5 officers were shot and the original three officers were killed.   :\'(

Fortunately either S.W.A.T. (or the perp himself) shot the scum bag who started all of this.

I now prepare to hear that "he was a nice guy, getting his life together, helped little old ladies across the street and shovelled his neighbors' driveways when it snowed".  You know, the usual cr@p talk you hear from a murderer's family.  Neighbors will all come out and say what a great guy he is and that it is indeed he who is the real victim.  ::)

Latest update....

Turns out the perp is a former honors student from North Catholic High School, who ultimately was expelled in 2003 for disciplinary problems.  He then joined the Marines and was thrown out of there too, before the end of boot camp.  Apparently he had told some buddies that if he ever got into a shootout with the cops, he'd either shoot himself or commit "suicide by cop".  Sounds like he botched that...

Turns out 5 officers were shot and the original three officers were killed.   :\'(

Fortunately either S.W.A.T. (or the perp himself) shot the scum bag who started all of this.

I now prepare to hear that "he was a nice guy, getting his life together, helped little old ladies across the street and shovelled his neighbors' driveways when it snowed".  You know, the usual cr@p talk you hear from a murderer's family.  Neighbors will all come out and say what a great guy he is and that it is indeed he who is the real victim.  ::)

Latest update....

Turns out the perp is a former honors student from North Catholic High School, who ultimately was expelled in 2003 for disciplinary problems.  He then joined the Marines and was thrown out of there too, before the end of boot camp.  Apparently he had told some buddies that if he ever got into a shootout with the cops, he'd either shoot himself or commit "suicide by cop".  Sounds like he botched that...


I thought the Marines wouldn't take a high school expulsion case.  I mean, if you've got problems with authority, the Marines might not be your best bet...

Oh well, just another day in our sick world.
:\'(

And he did it because he was upset over losing a job....and he was angry because Obama was "going to ban guns"!
http://www.inthe00s.com/smile/15/tard.gif

I now prepare to hear that "he was a nice guy, getting his life together, helped little old ladies across the street and shovelled his neighbors' driveways when it snowed".  You know, the usual cr@p talk you hear from a murderer's family.  Neighbors will all come out and say what a great guy he is and that it is indeed he who is the real victim.  ::)
ironically, i almost thought it was funny that the new york immigrant shooter, the people who knew him didn't say the usual 'seemed like a nice guy, kept to himself' stuff, they were all, oh, yeah, you could see this one coming a mile away. would make a good onion article if it werent so tragic.