New York, Aug 24 (IANS) One person was killed and 10 others were injured Friday when a gunman started shooting indiscriminately at people in front of the Empire State Building in New York. The attacker was later killed by police, media reports said.
CNN said a woman was killed in the shooting, which occurred as people were lining up to gain entry to the busy tourist destination.
The New York Office of Emergency Management said 10 people were shot at.
Police said the gunman was shot and killed, after authorities converged on the building around 9 a.m. after reports of gunfire.
Police closed several streets around 5th Avenue and 34th Street in Manhattan.
Max Kaplan, a 22-year-old New York resident, told CNN he heard at least nine gunshots. “We’re all very shaken up at the office,” he said.
A witness told CNN that the gunman ran after and shot a man in the head. But an unarmed guard chased the gunman away.
The suspect had a “large gun”, another witness told CNN.
ABC News said the shooting may have been due to a workplace dispute.
Many of the victims were hit in the lower parts of body, including legs.
The FBI said it was not an act of terrorism.
Aliyah Imam, a witness, told Fox 5 News TV station that the gunman was “shooting indiscriminately at people”.
She said a young woman standing next to her fell to the ground after being shot.
Another witness told CNN she saw a man lying in the middle of the street surrounded by police.
“I saw blood on the sidewalk. It was a very surreal scene,” Rebecca Fox said.
One of New York’s most popular tourist attractions, the Empire State Building is 1,453 feet tall and attracts nearly four million visitors a year.
