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Armed Man Shoots Three in Manhattan
NEW YORK (AP) - A heavily armed black man allegedly shot three people and tried to set patrons at a Manhattan bar on fire Sunday before being wounded by officers and arrested in what police said was a racially motivated attack.
Steven Johnson, 34, was charged with attempted murder after what Police Commissioner Ray Kelly described as a ``very bizarre crime by this deranged individual.''
Johnson was carrying three loaded guns, 153 rounds of ammunition and a samurai sword when he approached four white people walking in the East Village and told them: ``I have a problem with you,'' Kelly said.
Johnson shot one of the men in the upper body, followed him as he ran to the door of the bar and shot him again, police say. Johnson then entered the bar and ordered up to 40 patrons to the kitchen, police said.
A 54-year-old Asian man who owns a store next to the bar heard the shots and peeked in, and Johnson shot him in the wrist, police said.
Johnson, who was also carrying a police baton, a bottle of kerosene, a fireplace lighter and more than 100 plastic handcuffs, then allegedly forced a woman to start putting flex cuffs on the hostages while he sprayed the crowd with kerosene and fired occasional shots at police cars outside.
Witnesses told police that Johnson was ``ranting about white people and vowed revenge for thousands of years of suffering.'' Johnson said that he was having ``fun'' and that ``a real man chooses when he dies,'' Kelly said.
When Johnson pulled out the lighter, two Manhattan women jumped him, and he shot one in the leg, police said. Officers heard the shots and stormed the bar, grazing Johnson in the head and taking him into custody.
``Those two women did the right thing, a very important thing ... they were very brave,'' Kelly said.
Johnson was charged with attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon. He had not retained a lawyer; he was in police custody Sunday evening and was unavailable for comment. There was no telephone listing for him at the address provided by police.
One victim was hospitalized in serious condition, while the other two were in stable condition. The suspect was in stable condition, police said.
Johnson lives in Brooklyn with his 10-year-old son and has been despondent since his wife died in March, neighbors told investigators.
Police who searched his home said they found a note taped to a wall that said, ``Tell the boys in blue I won't be easy.''
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NEW YORK (AP) - A heavily armed black man allegedly shot three people and tried to set patrons at a Manhattan bar on fire Sunday before being wounded by officers and arrested in what police said was a racially motivated attack.
Steven Johnson, 34, was charged with attempted murder after what Police Commissioner Ray Kelly described as a ``very bizarre crime by this deranged individual.''
Johnson was carrying three loaded guns, 153 rounds of ammunition and a samurai sword when he approached four white people walking in the East Village and told them: ``I have a problem with you,'' Kelly said.
Johnson shot one of the men in the upper body, followed him as he ran to the door of the bar and shot him again, police say. Johnson then entered the bar and ordered up to 40 patrons to the kitchen, police said.
A 54-year-old Asian man who owns a store next to the bar heard the shots and peeked in, and Johnson shot him in the wrist, police said.
Johnson, who was also carrying a police baton, a bottle of kerosene, a fireplace lighter and more than 100 plastic handcuffs, then allegedly forced a woman to start putting flex cuffs on the hostages while he sprayed the crowd with kerosene and fired occasional shots at police cars outside.
Witnesses told police that Johnson was ``ranting about white people and vowed revenge for thousands of years of suffering.'' Johnson said that he was having ``fun'' and that ``a real man chooses when he dies,'' Kelly said.
When Johnson pulled out the lighter, two Manhattan women jumped him, and he shot one in the leg, police said. Officers heard the shots and stormed the bar, grazing Johnson in the head and taking him into custody.
``Those two women did the right thing, a very important thing ... they were very brave,'' Kelly said.
Johnson was charged with attempted murder and criminal possession of a weapon. He had not retained a lawyer; he was in police custody Sunday evening and was unavailable for comment. There was no telephone listing for him at the address provided by police.
One victim was hospitalized in serious condition, while the other two were in stable condition. The suspect was in stable condition, police said.
Johnson lives in Brooklyn with his 10-year-old son and has been despondent since his wife died in March, neighbors told investigators.
Police who searched his home said they found a note taped to a wall that said, ``Tell the boys in blue I won't be easy.''
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