USA: One women is killed and five other people wounded after a lone gunman bursts into a Jewish organization in downtown Seattle

A lone gunman burst into a Jewish organization in downtown Seattle on Friday (July 28), killing one woman and wounding five others in what authorities were calling a hate crime. Police said the gunman had been arrested without a struggle at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle, where the shooting took place, and was being questioned. The gunman is a U.S. citizen, and police said initial contacts with him by phone while he was inside the building indicated that he was a Muslim. That conversation prompted authorities to treat the homicide as a hate crime. Police would not disclose the content of the conversation, but Amy Wasser-Simpson, the federation's vice president, told the Seattle Times in a story on its Web site the man got past security at the building and shouted, "I'm a Muslim American; I'm angry at Israel," before he began shooting. "This was a purposeful, hateful act as far as we know, by an individual acting alone," said Seattle Mayor Greg Nickels at a news conference, adding "This is a crime of hate." Authorities said they were "taking every precaution" in searching for explosives and additional suspects and were monitoring the city's synagogues and Jewish organisations. The FBI was working with local authorities on the case. "At this point I want to emphasise there is nothing to indicate that this incident is either foreign directed or part of a larger organisation," said David Gomez, an FBI agent. Police first responded to reports of shots fired and a possible hostage situation at the centre shortly after 4 p.m., when there were about 18 people in the offices. The suspect, described by a 911 caller as a man in his 30s or 40s, surrendered to police unarmed, but authorities found his weapon, a large-caliber, semi-automatic handgun, inside the building, according to police. A hospital spokeswoman said three of the victims are in critical condition. The surviving women range in age from 23 to 43, including one who is pregnant. The fatal victim was only identified as a white female. The federation, a group covering the Jewish community around the Puget Sound, had organized a large rally last weekend to demonstrate support for Israel in its fight against Hizbollah in southern Lebanon. The Pacific Northwest chapter of the Anti-Defamation League said earlier this year that anti-Semitic incidents were on the rise because of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and activities by white supremacists. In 1999, white supremacist Buford Furrow went on a shooting rampage at a Jewish community center outside Los Angeles, wounding five people including children. Later that day, he shot and killed a Filipino mail carrier.

ITN Source | July 29, 2006

Tags:. .female. .rally. .explosives. .earlier. .mayor