Solved case · 2009
Also known as Binghamton American Civic Association shooting
Broome County Courthouse, Court Street, Binghamton, NYCredit: Aclanokur (talk) (Uploads)CC BY-SA 3.0SourceThe short answer
On April 3, 2009, Jiverly Wong, identified by police as the gunman, 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.
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Suggest coverage for 2009 Binghamton shootingOn 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.
Jiverly Wong shoots 17 people at the American Civic Association immigration center in Binghamton, New York, killing 13 and wounding four before killing himself.
The New York Times publishes an account of each of the 13 victims.
New York Governor David Paterson orders state flags flown at half-staff in honor of the victims.
ACA Memorial Park is constructed in Binghamton, funded by public donations and victims' families.
Construction takes place on a mosaic at the entrance of the ACA center as part of a Binghamton University honors program.
Victims first. Every legal label is set from public records and court outcomes, not from the prose.
Killed; age 43, Brazilian Ph.D. mathematician and visiting scholar at Binghamton University[3]
Killed; age 53, immigrant from the Philippines[3]
Killed; age 54, immigrant from China[3]
Killed; age 35, nail technician, immigrant from China[3]
Killed; age 22, immigrant from China[3]
Killed; age 39, immigrant from Vietnam[3]
Killed; age 53, Iraqi mother of three[3]
Killed; age 47, visiting scholar from China[3]
Wounded; age 42, Vietnamese immigrant shot multiple times while trying to shield his wife, Lan Ho, who was killed[3]
Killed; age 44, immigrant from Haiti[3]
Killed; age 46, immigrant from Haiti[3]
Killed; age 60, part-time caseworker at the Civic Association[3]
Killed; age 26, immigrant from northern Pakistan[3]
Killed; age 72, ESL substitute teacher[3]
Wounded; age 61, receptionist who feigned death and contacted police[3]
Identified as the sole perpetrator of the shooting; died by suicide at the scene and was never formally charged in court[3]
Binghamton Police Chief who commented publicly on the shooting and police response[3]
Coverage is not a source: every fact in this file rests on the records below.
Are you family of someone named in this file? Corrections and removal requests from victims’ families are prioritized.
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