INSIDE EDITION was on the scene as New York City came to a standstill after a man opened fire near the Empire State Building.
Terror at the Empire State Building as gunfire erupted right outside the most famous skyscraper in the world.
Ten people were wounded in the gun battle that erupted on New York City streets jammed with tourists and people going to work.
Eyewitnesses posted dramatic photos of the shooting within minutes.
Police said the gunman had been fired from his job a year ago at a women's accessories store. He turned up there on Friday, pulled a .45 caliber handgun from a black bag and shot his co-worker once in the head and killed him. Police stationed at the Empire State Building confronted the gunman who opened fire on them and what followed was an exchange of gunfire straight out of the Wild West.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg revealed that some of the wounded were caught in the crossfire.
"This is a terrible tragedy and there is no doubt that this situation would have been even more tragic but for some extraordinary acts of heroism," said Bloomberg in a press conference. "At least nine were shot and some may have been shot accidentally by police officers who responded immediately, and while confronting the gunman and fatally shooting him."
The gunman was identified as 53-year-old Jeffrey Johnson.
A neighbor, Gisella Cassella told INSIDE EDITION, "He was a very quiet guy. Nothing bothered him."
INSIDE EDITION's Paul Boyd was at the scene within minutes of the shooting and network cameras caught him rushing to cover the story.
One of the wounded men works on Fifth Avenue selling tickets to the observation deck of the Empire State Building.
The shooting comes just two weeks after a man wielding a knife was chased down and shot dead at another iconic tourist Manhattan location—Times Square.
Now, another street battle at one of the world's best known tourist attractions.
