No One Hurt in Shooting outside UN Building in New York

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, October 04, 2002

No One Hurt in Shooting outside UN Building in New York

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No one was injured in a shooting incident at the United Nations Headquarters in New York Thursday when a gunman fired seven shots in the air just outside the UN Secretariat building, a UN security chief said.

The gunman, identified as Steve Kim, was immediately apprehended by members of the United States Secret Service, US Department of Security Service, New York Police Department and UN Security, UN Security and Safety Service Chief Michael McCann saidat a press conference here.

The man had reportedly entered the UN complex by jumping over the fence from the First Avenue at around 43rd Street in the downtown area of New York City before firing seven shots from a .357 revolver, aiming high as he stood facing the 38-story glass-and-steel skyscraper.

No one was injured by the bullets, which struck the 18th and 20th floors, narrowly missing several UN employees, he said.

After discharging the weapon, Kim, who is in the custody of US government authorities, threw identical papers in the air which "contained a rambling political message about human rights in NorthKorea," he said.

While Kim's nationality is not yet known, McCann said he was "believed to be an American" and was not a UN employee.

The gunman, who was born in 1945, apparently came to the UN "byhimself," McCann said, adding that this would have to be confirmed.

Asked about security measures, McCann said steps were being taken to strengthen the perimeter of the UN complex through both the "strengthening security plan," which has already been adopted,as well as the UN's overall capital master plan, which is currently in development.

Those plans called for either replacing the current fence or putting an additional barrier behind it, and installing a closed-circuit television system.

McCann said that as a matter of course, UN Security would also conduct a "very detailed critique and review of this event, what took place, how quickly we responded, and look to see if there is anything that we should do differently or any policies or procedures that should be changed."

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will process the arrest, according to UN Security, and Kim will be prosecuted underUS laws, he said.

To a question on why Kim would fire at the UN in order to call attention to human rights issues, McCann said, "We don't see any logic to bringing attention to his cause in that manner."

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