Shooting in NYC - councilman dead

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― Kerry (dymaxia), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 18:52 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I've been trying to get information on this for like the past hour, the stories are completely sketchy as to what the hell is going on down there??

― Ally (mlescaut), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 18:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Councilman James Davis dead-- his offices are on the first floor of my building. There are loads of people in shock outside my front window.

― Benjamin (benjamin), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 18:59 (twenty-two years ago)

man in blue jacket + blue shirt pulls out silver handgun from balcony of City Hall, shoots James Davis dead; wounds at least one other; police return fire; Brooklyn Bridge and some subways are closed; policemen search streets for assailant

very Gangs of New York in its brazen lawlessness

it's these pesky NON-law-abiding citizens with firearms, how come it's so hard to smoke em out until after the damage is done?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:01 (twenty-two years ago)

The guy who was killed looks so young .

― Kerry (dymaxia), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:02 (twenty-two years ago)

"I believe a successful police department is one that not only addresses crime, but is also responsive to the concerns of the community. The first step in accomplishing this is making the local precinct a welcoming place. As an African-American I do not always feel welcome when walking into a police precinct. This is true even though I am a former police officer. I compare this feeling to being in a restaurant and receiving poor service. It does not matter how good the food is, if the waiter does not greet you properly and has a bad attitude, you don't want to eat there. On the other hand, if you are greeted with courtesy and respect, it goes a long way towards your feelings about the restaurant. A police precinct is no different. Local residents should be able to go into a precinct and have their needs addressed in a courteous and professional manner. In the academy, police officers are trained that when dealing with crime victims, they should strive to leave them feeling better than when they found them. I take that goal very seriously."

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:11 (twenty-two years ago)

"Mayor Bloomberg has put $64.5 million in the budget to expand detention centers. I feel the money should not go into detention, but into prevention. We need to reduce the ratio of youths per caseworker, so we can get kids the help they need. We need to continually reassess our youth crime prevention and detention strategies. Education is the best form of crime prevention. If a person is educated, he or she will be less likely to commit a crime. Class sizes have to be reduced and disruptive kids in our schools need to be properly addressed."

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:12 (twenty-two years ago)

"The 35th City Council district in Brooklyn is a diverse community. There are African-Americans, Caribbean-Americans, white Americans and Hassidic Jews all living together in the same neighborhood. When you walk down the street you see lawyers and doctors as well as sanitation employees and firefighters. We have great educational institutions like Pratt Institute, St. Joseph's College and Long Island University. We have a vibrant arts community and powerful churches and religious institutions. I represent all of these people."

(all these words are from James Davis, via Kerry's link)

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:13 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, Benjamin, we must live a couple blocks from each other -- I know exactly where the office is. This is extremely fucked up.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:14 (twenty-two years ago)

God, this is fucking awful.

― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:15 (twenty-two years ago)

What I don't understand is Bloomberg's insistance that this is a random act of violence, like as if it happened on the street. The man came in with someone, or had reasons for security to let him slide past without checking him.

― Ally (mlescaut), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:22 (twenty-two years ago)

No, Ally, even better is his insistence that this isn't terrorism -- followed by calling it "an attack on Democracy".

Asshole.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:24 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah, I was trying to parse that in my head for a long time too.

― Ally (mlescaut), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:24 (twenty-two years ago)

I think he meant "This isn't the work of some crazy dudes from the Mideast, but it was an attack on a democratic institution." Both parts of that sentence seem to be true.

― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:25 (twenty-two years ago)

I bet the shooter will never be caught.

― Scaredy Cat, Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:25 (twenty-two years ago)

A few days later, Bloomberg to himself: "Wow, now even more people hate me. Wonder why?"

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:26 (twenty-two years ago)

How long til he blames smokers? :P

― Ally (mlescaut), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:27 (twenty-two years ago)

this is really sad. What Would Lenny Do?

― g--ff c-nn-n (gcannon), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:32 (twenty-two years ago)

I just got a call from someone I know at a paper who told me (quietly) "go turn on Channel 11 -- they have the story" -- I'm at work, but if anyone wants to check it out, please keep us updated...

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:40 (twenty-two years ago)

CNN sez that some said he was in a blue blazer or blue suit, others say cream-colored. One eyewitness states that the man was talking to Davis before he shot him. Apparently he may have gotten the gun in because he came in accompanied by one of Davis' own staff.

A second person has just been confirmed dead.

― Millar (Millar), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:46 (twenty-two years ago)

whoa hang on the second person was the shooter - he got picked off by a council bodyguard. So much for the manhunt.

― Millar (Millar), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:48 (twenty-two years ago)

Or knowing what it was all about. Hmm...

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:50 (twenty-two years ago)

set up

― Scaredy Cat, Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:56 (twenty-two years ago)

Interesting -- there's an AP photo on the NY Times website of a white guy being carried out of City Hall by EMTs -- although the shooter was described by police as a "black man in a blue suit", and Davis is African-American as well.

― Hurlothrumbo (hurlothrumbo), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:57 (twenty-two years ago)

Compilation of incident accounts indicates that at 2:09 PM a dark skinned male wearing a blue suit commenced firing a silver pistol from the balcony of the City Hall Council Chambers at Brooklyn Council member James Davis striking him twice in the chest and killing him. (Latest reports indicate shooter entered City Hall and passed through security accompanying Councilman Davis who may have vouched for shooter's entry.) Council was engaged in routine meeting with no controversial items on the schedule. Ironically, Davis was a very vocal and outspoken against violence leading many anti violence groups/movements. At least 12 shots were fired with at least one unidentified person wounded. Associated Press reports that a second person is dead and may be the shooter. Mayor Bloomberg was in his office at the time and not in jeopardy. NYPD continues to keep the City Hall area sealed. The Manhattan and Brooklyn bridges have been reopened with NYPD conducting vehicle searches before allowing vehicles to enter onto the bridges. Subways are running with most bypassing City Hall stations. There remains much confusion as to the events and motivations in this matter.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:59 (twenty-two years ago)

(don't know where that report comes from; someone send around an intra-office email)

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 19:59 (twenty-two years ago)

sent

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 20:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Latest news: the now-dead shooter's name is all over the television. I googled it. He was, then wasn't, a challenger for Davis' 35th district council seat.

From http://www.lidbrooklyn.org/bp061603.htm:

35th: Incumbent James Davis will be challenged by Tony Herbert (an aide to several elected officials over the years), perhaps Abraham Wasserman (a Crown Heights resident who ran in 2001), and maybe the unknown Othniel Boaz Askew. "I've never heard of him. Or her," Davis said."

This "unknown" guy is being called the assassin.

― Benjamin (benjamin), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 20:03 (twenty-two years ago)

The political rival story is gaining traction.

― Benjamin (benjamin), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 20:05 (twenty-two years ago)

How awful. He seemed like a decent guy, from reading about him. Ugh. :(

― Kerry (dymaxia), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 20:08 (twenty-two years ago)

Othniel Boaz Askew

Greatest name ever, obv.

― amateurist (amateurist), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 20:10 (twenty-two years ago)

Imagine the teasing he must have endured in grade school. No wonder he flipped out.

― o. nate (onate), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 20:50 (twenty-two years ago)

Yeah I was trying to take the JMZ back home and I catch it at the City Hall stop because my office is right across Chambers. I stopped in Duane Reade to get something and the sirens were going nuts. This woman was talking about how you could tell someone important got shot because if it had been someone like us they would've just sent one officer out on foot. But yeah, city hall was crazy. You couldn't walk anywhere and there were about 100 police there and 3 helicopters. It took me about 30 minutes just to walk to Fulton to catch the next train. There were so many gawkers talking about how they were hoping it was Bloomberg.

― Carey (Carey), Wednesday, 23 July 2003 21:16 (twenty-two years ago)

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