Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, September 17, 2002
Insurance Executive Kills Two Co-workers, Self in NYC
An insurance executive called two co-workers into his office near Times Square, New York City(NYC), on Monday morning, shot them to death and then killed himself, authorities say.
An insurance executive called two co-workers into his office near Times Square, New York City(NYC), on Monday morning, shot them to death and then killed himself, authorities say.
The motive was not immediately clear, but a police source told The Associated Press that the gunman, who was in his 50s, had been romantically involved with one of the victims, a woman in her 30s.
The third victim was a man, also in his 30s. The names of the dead were not immediately released.
The gunfire erupted on the 11th floor at about 8:20 a.m., well before most employees had arrived at Empire Blue Cross-Blue Shield's offices on Broadway near 40th Street.
The gunman, a vice president in the insurance company's fraud investigations unit, was formerly an FBI agent in New Jersey, according to a federal law enforcement source speaking on condition of anonymity.
Two semiautomatic handguns, a .45-caliber and a 9mm, were found on the floor. A third gun was also found in the office, and police believe all three belonged to the executive.
All three victims were found in the executive's 15-by-15-foot corner office, police said. A police source said a witness reported that the vice president had called the two others into his office.
Empire Blue Cross and Blue Shield leases three floors in the 25-story building.