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NY gunman kills 13, commits suicide
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2009-04-04 08:12

A woman first reported the shooting to the police by calling 911 at 10:31 a.m., but she is now in surgery and could not provide any further details, the police said.

NY gunman kills 13, commits suicide
The American Civic Center is sealed off by police in Binghampton, New York, April 3, 2009. [Xinhua]

Initial media reports said there was also a hostage situation in the building, with the gunman holding hostage as many as 20 to 40 people. But the local authorities didn't mention it at the press conference.

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According to the Chinese Consulate-general in New York, a Chinese student was among those wounded in the shooting.

The male student, who was taking a language course in the ACA building, suffered two gunshot wounds and is now in hospital with no danger of life, consulate sources told Xinhua, declining to give any further details.

At the same press conference, New York State Governor David Paterson condemned the shooting as a "senseless act of violence." In an earlier statement, he called Friday "a tragic day" for the state.

In a statement on behalf of himself and first lady Michelle, U.S. President Barack Obama, currently on a European tour following the London G20 summit, said that he was "shocked and deeply saddened" to learn the Binghamton shooting.

"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims, their families and the people of Binghamton," he said in the statement. "We don't yet know all the facts, but my administration is actively monitoring the situation and the vice president is in touch with governor David Paterson and local officials to track development."

Upon hearing news about the attack, US Vice President Joe Biden, who was in New York City some 189 miles southeast of Binghamton, said "It's time that we've got to figure a way to deal with this senseless, senseless violence."

It was the third shooting incident since last weekend in the United States.

A gunman waged a shooting spree at a nursing home in Carthage, North Carolina on Sunday morning, killing eight and injuring three others. Another case in a townhouse in Santa Clara, California, on Sunday night left six dead, including two children.

With gun control a highly controversial topic nationwide, the United States sees about 30,000 people get killed annually in gun-related violence.

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