Breaking News: Binghamton, NY Shooting and Hostage Situation

Downtown Binghamton, NY. Photo by: Tom Vazquez

Writes CNN.com:

Authorities are at the scene of a building in Binghamton, New York, where there are "multiple" shooting victims and hostages are being held, a county spokesman said.

...

The local newspaper, the Press & Sun-Bulletin, said on its Web site that at least four people were shot and 41 people had been taken hostage. [Now CNN reports 12 dead and more than a dozen wounded by gunfire]

...

According to the United Way of Broome County Web site, the civic association assists immigrants and refugees with immigration and personal counseling, resettlement, citizenship, family reunification.

It goes without saying that this is a very sad and disturbing story. Criminals like this gunman, whoever he is, are enemies of a free and civil society. Just get ready for the media spin on this. Get ready for them to cast this as another example to support stricter gun control measures like the renewal of the expired assault weapons ban. Be prepared for Attorney General Eric "you're all cowards" Holder to use this to build his case for the assault weapons ban.

It already angers me enough that this gunman has ended innocent lives and destroyed the peaceful and civil interaction between a local civic union and its clients- immigrants and refuges trying to make a new life in our great country. It angers me enough that all of this has happened, but it angers me even more to know that this idiot's behavior might end up by restricting and violating the rest of our freedoms as well.

But the truth is that this is a reason for fewer, not more gun restrictions. There is no way that police can be everywhere all the time to immediately put an end to the carnage of rampaging murderers like Jiverly Voong (the Binghamton gunman). It is possible however, for an alert and armed citizenry to do so. If someone had been carrying a firearm at this civic association's building, they might have been able to take out the shooter after he fired his first shots. They might have been able to save many lives and prevent many gun wounds. The more restrictions we pass on gun ownership and concealed carry, the more we lessen the opportunity of an alert citizen being able to minimize the loss of life in future gun massacres.

This is also why libertarians must engage our local, national, and global community. This is why it is simply not enough to be a "Don't Tread On Me" libertarian who is only interested in being left alone. We must also share love with the world around us and advocate peaceful co-existence to the best of our ability. We must establish institutions and propagate cultural norms that prevent horrific crimes like this from occurring if it is our interest to live in a civil and free society. We must do everything we can to prevent shootings like this because we value human life and because every shooting, every transgression of law and order is an invitation to the government to exercise yet more power over our lives, power that is more likely to be abused than to maintain civil order.

UPDATE:

The shooter has been identified as an Asian male, number of gunshot victims up to at least five:

The shooter was described by local media as an Asian male in a green jacket.

Geraldo Rivera was just on Fox News saying that because of the shooter's ethnicity (Vietnamese) and the nature of the Binghamton organization as a civic union dedicated to helping immigrant families, it seems inevitable that the shooter has some kind of relationship to the civic union and is disgruntled about their services for some reason.

UPDATE:

CNN is reporting that the number of dead gunshot victims is up to 12 and more than a dozen have been wounded by gunfire:

The source said more than a dozen were wounded.

Police on the scene told CNN affiliate WBNG-TV that up to 12 people were killed in the shooting.

UPDATE:

ABC News reports that the gunman (which reports are now saying was likely a "lone gunman") has shot and killed himself:

The gunman shot and killed himself and may be among the dead, police said.

I will continue posting updates as news becomes available.

UPDATE:

The gunman has been identified by authorities as 41-year-old Jiverly Voong of Johnson City, New York.