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Case file

2009 Binghamton shooting

SOLVED2009American Civic Association, Binghamton, New York3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026

Documents violence · suicide — written to inform, not to shock.

Illustrative

On the morning of April 3, 2009, at approximately 10:30 a.m. EDT, Jiverly Wong barricaded the rear exit of the American Civic Association (ACA) immigration center in Binghamton, New York, with a vehicle, then entered through the front door armed with two semi-automatic pistols — a 9mm Beretta 92FS Vertec Inox and a .45-caliber Beretta Px4 Storm. He immediately opened fire on staff and clients, shooting two receptionists near the entrance, killing one and wounding the other, 61-year-old Shirley DeLucia, who feigned death and later called 911 while hidden under a desk. Wong then entered a classroom where an English as a Second Language (ESL) class was in session — a class he himself had previously attended — and shot 13 of the 16 people present, including the teacher, before taking other students hostage. Less than two minutes after he began firing, Wong killed himself as police arrived at the building.

Thirteen people were killed and four others were wounded. Victims included immigrants and visiting scholars from Pakistan, Brazil, Haiti, China, Vietnam, Iraq, and the Philippines, as well as a caseworker and a substitute ESL teacher. Wounded survivor Long Huynh was shot multiple times while trying to shield his wife, Lan Ho, who was killed by a ricocheting bullet. Police, uncertain whether Wong was alive, waited approximately 45 minutes before a SWAT team entered and began clearing the building; this delay drew subsequent public criticism, though authorities noted autopsy findings indicated all victims had died before the police response began.

Wong, a Vietnamese-born naturalized U.S. citizen who had lived in both Binghamton and the Los Angeles area, had a history of firearms ownership, a prior misdemeanor fraud conviction, and reported financial and employment difficulties, including recent job loss and frustration with his English proficiency. Several days after the shooting, a package Wong had mailed before the attack was received by a Syracuse television station; it contained photographs, identification documents, and a rambling letter expressing grievances against police and blaming them for the coming violence.

The shooting prompted national attention amid a series of mass shootings in the United States that spring and renewed debate over gun control. President Barack Obama called the attack "senseless violence," and New York Governor David Paterson ordered flags flown at half-staff. Wong's parents publicly apologized and expressed grief over their son's actions. A memorial park, the ACA Memorial Park, was constructed in 2013 in Binghamton featuring thirteen plaques and dove statues honoring the victims, and annual memorial services continue to be held.

Key facts

Victims
Parveen Ali, Shirley DeLucia, Hong Xiu Mao, Dolores Carbonilas Yigal, Maria Zobniw, Roberta Badaines King, Jiang Ling, Marc Henry Bernard, Long Huynh, Maria Sonia Bernard, Haihong Zhong, Lan Ho, Almir Olímpio Alves, Layla Khalil, Li Guo
Date
2009
Location
American Civic Association, Binghamton, New York
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2009-04-03

    Jiverly Wong shoots 17 people at the American Civic Association immigration center in Binghamton, New York, killing 13 and wounding four before killing himself.

  2. 2009-04-06

    The New York Times publishes an account of each of the 13 victims.

  3. 2009-04-08

    New York Governor David Paterson orders state flags flown at half-staff in honor of the victims.

  4. 2013

    ACA Memorial Park is constructed in Binghamton, funded by public donations and victims' families.

  5. 2021-04

    Construction takes place on a mosaic at the entrance of the ACA center as part of a Binghamton University honors program.

Best coverage

No approved coverage links are attached yet.

People

  • Parveen Ali

    VICTIM

    Killed; age 26, immigrant from northern Pakistan

    citation on file

  • Shirley DeLucia

    VICTIM

    Wounded; age 61, receptionist who feigned death and contacted police

    citation on file

  • Hong Xiu Mao

    VICTIM

    Killed; age 35, nail technician, immigrant from China

    citation on file

  • Dolores Carbonilas Yigal

    VICTIM

    Killed; age 53, immigrant from the Philippines

    citation on file

  • Jiverly Wong

    CHARGED

    Identified as the sole perpetrator of the shooting; died by suicide at the scene and was never formally charged in court

    citation on file

  • Maria Zobniw

    VICTIM

    Killed; age 60, part-time caseworker at the Civic Association

    citation on file

  • Roberta Badaines King

    VICTIM

    Killed; age 72, ESL substitute teacher

    citation on file

  • Jiang Ling

    VICTIM

    Killed; age 22, immigrant from China

    citation on file

  • Joseph Zikuski

    LAW ENFORCEMENT

    Binghamton Police Chief who commented publicly on the shooting and police response

    citation on file

  • Marc Henry Bernard

    VICTIM

    Killed; age 44, immigrant from Haiti

    citation on file

  • Long Huynh

    VICTIM

    Wounded; age 42, Vietnamese immigrant shot multiple times while trying to shield his wife, Lan Ho, who was killed

    citation on file

  • Maria Sonia Bernard

    VICTIM

    Killed; age 46, immigrant from Haiti

    citation on file

  • Haihong Zhong

    VICTIM

    Killed; age 54, immigrant from China

    citation on file

  • Lan Ho

    VICTIM

    Killed; age 39, immigrant from Vietnam

    citation on file

  • Almir Olímpio Alves

    VICTIM

    Killed; age 43, Brazilian Ph.D. mathematician and visiting scholar at Binghamton University

    citation on file

  • Layla Khalil

    VICTIM

    Killed; age 53, Iraqi mother of three

    citation on file

  • Li Guo

    VICTIM

    Killed; age 47, visiting scholar from China

    citation on file

Places

American Civic Association, Binghamton, New York

42.0997, -75.9175

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
On April 3, 2009, Jiverly Wong entered the American Civic Association immigration center in Binghamton, New York, and shot 17 people, killing 13, before killing himself. It remains the deadliest mass shooting by a lone gunman in New York state history.
Where did the shooting happen?
American Civic Association, Binghamton, New York.
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.

Sources

  1. 2009 Binghamton shootingwikipedia · Wikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. Contemporaneous coverage — The New York Timesnews · The New York Times · 2026-07-07
  3. Contemporaneous coverage — CNNnews · CNN · 2026-07-07
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