An M1A magazine. An example spring is shown. Note the "lips" and "follower" visible at the top.
The M1 Garand "clip". Notice the absence of a spring or follower.
A stripper clip
A stripper clip in use to load a fixed magazine of an SKS rifle.
Posted on 04/03/2009 3:06:49 PM PDT by neverdem
(Binghamton, N.Y. / ABC News) -- As many as 13 people have been shot dead and wounded dozens in a shooting rampage inside an upstate New York civic association building that caters to immigrants, according to federal and state authorities.
The gunman, Jiverly Voong, allegedly held dozens of people hostage for several hours before shooting himself to death, police said.
According to multiple state law enforcement officials, the gunman entered the one-story American Civic Association in downtown Binghamton about 10 a.m. today and began his shooting spree.
A senior law enforcement official told ABC News that 13 people were shot dead and 26 were wounded.
Officials said Voong entered the civic association armed with two heavy caliber automatic pistols -- a 9 mm and a .45 caliber handgun. He carried a bag filled with high capacity magazines, a survival knife and a flashlight, according to police.
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, police said.
Voong, 41, also known as Linh Phat Voong, was from Johnson City, N.Y. He allegedly burst into the civic center wearing a bright green nylon jacket and dark-rimmed glasses and promptly shot the receptionist dead and then killed two other people. He then headed for another room of the civic association and opened fire again.
When the carnage was over, Voong's body was found on first the floor with a hunting knife jammed into the waistband of his pants.
"He shot those people? No. No," said a woman who identified herself as Voong's sister, but would not give her name when reached by ABC News.com.
She said her brother went to take classes today at the civic association and that she had not heard from him since. She said she did not know that he was involved in the shooting.
"I'm going to pass out," she said and hung up the phone.
Police also contacted Voong's sister to say her brother was dead. She told police that Voong was attending language classes at the civic center. She said Voong is a U.S. citizen and has been in this country for 28 years.
Voong had recently been laid off from IBM in Johnson City, U.S. Rep. Maurice Hinchey, a Democrat whose district includes Binghamton, told the Associated Press. The gunman opened fire on a citizenship class, he said.
"People were there in the process of being tested for their citizenship," Hinchey said. "It was in the middle of a test. He just went in and opened fire."
Several hours after the shooting began, hostages started exiting the building and police declared the gunman dead.
By 1:30 p.m., police began escorting people out of the building, but continued to treat the building as a crime scene where the shooter might still be lurking.
Eyewitness Account Eyewitness Nick Masucci, a community college student and Binghamton resident, said he watched as many as 20 people exit the building and get 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.
Several people were removed from the building on stretchers. Others left with their hands on their heads and were searched by police.
City councilman Martin Gerchman said he recently returned from the scene and said it looked like the building was "secure."
Earlier today police called Broome Community College to find someone who could speak fluent Vietnamese to "assist police with translation," said college spokesman Richard David.
Police, he said, did not indicated 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.
Wilson Medical Center, the closest hospital to the site of the shootings, said three patients had been sent to its trauma center, one of them in critical condition.
One patient, according to a spokeswoman, had been brought to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital.
"We're on full alert anticipating we're going to get additional casualties," hospital spokeswoman Linda Miller said.
FBI Sent Hostage Negotiators People were told in nearby buildings 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 is reportedly on the way.
"The FBI is providing assistance to the Binghamton Police Department," FBI spokesman Rich Kolko said. "FBI Albany has sent Hostage Negotiators, Evidence Response Team and Command Post assistance. This is a rapidly developing situation and we refer you to the Binghamton Police Department for any additional information."
The FBI and New York State Police sent hostage negotiators, evidence collection teams and investigators to support the efforts of the Binghamton police in securing the scene, collecting the evidence and guiding hostages and people who hid from the gunman to safety.
New York Gov. David Paterson said, "We are monitoring the situation and I have directed the State Police to assist the Binghamton Police Department in any way they can."
At the time of the shooting the civic association was holding citizenship classes.
More illegal alien crime and the joys of open borders.
Not to make light of a tragic situation... but,
In addition to the usual suspects ranting over banning all gun ownership, I can see the bleeding-heart Libs will now clamber that all businesses must have permanent car barriers built around all rear exit doors. Can’t have some “gun-nut” parking his car or truck against the back door and then going in the front door and killing everyone, ya’ know...
After they charge the tax payers 75 million for cataloging, investigating, finger printing, performing back ground investigations on the suspect, back till he was 5 years old, conducting computerized scene investigations, DNA, autopsy's, obtain experts to testify, completing 10,000 page investigative reports.....Only then will the alphabet agencies recommend that the stupid American tax payer be stripped of their 2nd amendment rights, and be monitored and controlled much more closely.
I understand exactly what you’re saying. The thing is, the majority of Hmong, and Vietnamese I’ve known weren’t like that. The ones I’ve known at least were very hard-working, honest, and good people. Not that there aren’t “bad apples” in every group. And, many of those I’ve known I didn’t know well enough to know their exact financial situation. I do know a lot of people up here in Northern Wisconsin are not happy with the amount of Hmong we have here on public assistance — our older generation especially blames them for the small amount of welfare type funds available to THEM! (Crazy, eh? Some of them have literally said things like, my check would be bigger if it weren’t for all of them....) It’s nuts...
The illegal alien Mexicans I’ve run across when I was living in West Denver though — COMPLETELY and TOTALLY understand and agree!
To tell you the truth though - I’ve personally known more “white” U.S. citizens in my life over the years who were defrauding our welfare system and such than any other group (besides the Mexican Illegals I mentioned above). That could also be due to the fact that I grew up and have lived in mostly “white” suburban areas though — again, except for the 3 years living in West Denver.
The guy was a U.S. citizen and had lived here for 28 years according to his family... Just saying. We’re not dealing with an “Illegal” in this instance.
I’m just glad that the shooter wasn’t a white guy.
The libs will probably figure a way to blame white guys anyway.
White guy fired him from his job?
White guy sold him the gun.
White guy didn’t duck when Linh shot at him?
I always thought ‘automatic’ when the term is used with semi automatic firing pistols referred to the loading function, as in ‘automatic loading’, not the firing function, as in ‘automatic firing’. so a 1911 .45acp or a beretta 92fs 9mm (both magazine fed) for just two examples, are indeed truly automatics, or at least that Is the way I understood it.
An M1A magazine. An example spring is shown. Note the "lips" and "follower" visible at the top.
The M1 Garand "clip". Notice the absence of a spring or follower.
A stripper clip
A stripper clip in use to load a fixed magazine of an SKS rifle.
EXCUSE ME??? PUNISH HIS FAMILY MEMBERS??? SERIOUSLY? And, you’re worried about a POLICE STATE? Yeah, that would go a LONG WAY to prevent one, now wouldn’t it? Forget the fact that this was a U.S. Citizen that has been here for 28 years!
I’m just as “anti-Illegal” as probably some of the most vocal here, but what you are suggesting will NOT stop this problem! Again, this guy was a U.S. CITIZEN — and so presumably are many of his family members you want to now punish for this guy going mental...
If you end up killing someone someday for some crazy reason, do you want YOUR FAMILY to be jailed because of it? Because THAT is what you just suggested...
WOW! Thank you so much for taking the time to put that together. I understood the text explanation, but the graphics make it VERY easy! I’ll never be confused again myself (unless I’m trying to read some idiot reporter’s article! LOL). How easy it would be if these reporters spent even HALF an HOUR with visual aids to educate them...
Exactly... My eyes opened that day — it was like taking a “red pill” when I saw the “official story” change right before my eyes in a matter of moments. A very surreal, very sad, sad day it was for many reasons — not the least of which was the loss of many innocent beautiful people. It changed my life, and I was hundreds of miles away...
Just ran across your text explanation to me! (I had read Raimus’ before and that’s what I was referring to). Now I KNOW I’ll never be confused again! LOL Thanks again for the education. I do appreciate it. :)
My Springfield XD hold 13 rounds of .45 plus one in the chamber. I don’t consider that high-capacity, but the idiots that write this tripe do.
Thank God a brave cop arrived at the Nursing Home shooting scene before a SWAT team arrived.
Thx for the ping.
Health and wholeness to you!
Understood — to me personally — and maybe this is off-the-mark, but when I think “High Capacity” I think Machine Guns and the like... Less than 15 rounds doesn’t seem “high capacity” in my mind. But like you said, these idiots do... Heck, I’ll bet anything that holds bigger than a 6-shot revolver (and who really carries those anymore?) is “high capacity” in their minds...
Is this a HOAX? Why didn’t anyone SHOOT BACK?
Thanks! Feeling tons better after that nap — my neck was out of place, and really bugging me, and that on top of the flu/cold/whatever I have was a bad combination! YUCK!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.