This time the carnage is outside the Empire State Building. The shooter has been identified as Jeffrey Johnson, 53. News stories report variously that Mr. Johnson was fired or laid off from his job either last week or last year, and he stalked and killed someone who was either his former boss or some other former co-worker.

The shooting took place this morning on the streets in the 5th Avenue/34th Street area, which means hundreds of people easily were within range of the shooter’s gun, said to be a .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun.

A construction worker alerted the NYPD, who seem to have arrived almost immediately. The cops and the shooter exchanged fire, and the shooter was killed. At least nine other people in the vincinity were wounded, but it sounds as if none of the wounds are life-threatening. It’s possible some of the wounds were from police bullets. It would be nearly impossible to fire a gun in that area and not hit somebody.

It’s a near certainty the shooter was carrying the gun illegally and probably bought it illegally as well. I’m interested in where he got it. I understand most of the illegal guns in New York City are bought legally in the South, usually Virginia, and then sold on the black market in NYC.

The New York Times is saying that Mr. Johnson had no criminal record, which makes him a law-abiding citizen. Well, until this morning.