New York: A gunman blocked the back door of an immigration center in Binghamton, New York, before bursting through the front door on a shooting rampage in which he killed 12 people and then, apparently, himself, police said.
Police have searched the home of the suspected shooter, whom they have identified.
The lone gunman who killed 12 people and then shot himself inside the New York civic association building has been identified as forty-two-year-old Jiverly Voong from upstate New York, media reports said.
ABC News cited the police as saying that Voong - also known as Linh Phat Voong - was from Johnson City, New York. He burst into the one-story American Civic Association building in downtown Binghamton centre wearing a bright green nylon jacket and dark-rimmed glasses.
ABC News cited multiple state law enforcement officials as saying the gunman entered the single-storey American Civic Association building in downtown Binghamton about 1000 hours (ET) Friday and began a shooting spree.
Voong's body was found on first floor with a hunting knife jammed into the waistband of his pants. Police officials said two weapons have been found including a 9 mm pistol which was recovered as SWAT team officers entered the building.
The gunman carried identification that said he was 42 years old and from upstate New York, CNN said citing a government official who has been briefed on the situation.
Officials said Voong backed his car up to the rear door of the building to block any escape before he went to the front of the building and started to execute people. At the time of the shooting the civic association was holding citizenship classes.
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One of the first sights that greeted police officers when they entered the American Civic Association, an organization that helps immigrants, was a receptionist who had been shot in the head, officials said.
By early afternoon a number of people were seen being escorted out of the building by police. However, the authorities - at that time - appeared to still be treating the situation as an active one with a shooter possibly still at large.
Several people were removed from the building on stretchers. Others left with their hands on their heads and were searched by police.
"It looks like they're bringing out hostages. It looks like most of them are coming out," said eye witness Nick Masucci, a community college student and Binghamton resident. He added that as many as 20 people had exited the building and were being patted down by police.
"They look like immigrants, lots of different cultures coming out of there. Some people are getting patted down. The police are taking a lot of precautions, they're still taking cover," he said.
People in nearby buildings were told to stay away from windows and Binghamton High School is under a lock-down as police are using the school as a staging area. The school is a block and a half away from the shooting site.
Ten ambulances were called to the scene and an FBI hostage rescue team was reportedly also sent for.
Earlier on Friday, police called Broome Community College to find someone who could speak fluent Vietnamese to "assist police with translation", said college spokesman Richard David.
Police, David said, did not indicate whether the translator - Professor Tuong Nguyen - was needed to speak with the shooter or with hostages, but believed the professor would be talking with the shooter.
"In Binghamton, someone entered a recreation center where an examination was being given for immigrants to become Americans. He walked in through the back door and allegedly shot and killed up to 12 or 13 people and I don't have any more details except I'd ask you to keep all those folks in your prayers. It's a prayerful community. I think it's time that we got to figure out a way to deal with this senseless, senseless violence" — US Vice-President, Joe Biden
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