NEW YORK—The city returned to normal this weekend following fatal shootings near the Empire State Building Friday. Stories of heroism have emerged amid the tragedy.
Brian Dillon, 44, from Westchester, was working on a loading dock near the Empire State Building Friday morning when he witnessed Jeffrey Johnson, 58, allegedly shoot Steven Ercolino, 41, at close range. Unafraid for his life, Dillon followed the gunman down 33rd Street toward Fifth Avenue, hoping the man, who was dressed in a suit and tie, would not blend in and get away.
“I knew when he made the left [turn] the police would be there and that’s all I was hoping for,” Dillon told NBC 4 New York. “I checked their car. They were against the wall, so that’s why I screamed at them.”
The two patrolmen confronted Johnson, who pointed his .45-caliber pistol at the police officers. The officers immediately fired at Johnson, fatally striking him seven times.
“I feel like I did the right thing,” Dillon said. “I feel the police are the heroes. They are the ones who confronted the guy. I didn’t confront him, I just pointed him out.”
The incident took place at the crowded 34th Street and Fifth Avenue intersection, injuring nine bystanders. Three of the victims were struck by whole bullets, but the rest were hit with fragments, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said Saturday following an investigation.
Three victims remain in the hospital. All are in stable condition.
Kelly said it appeared Johnson did not fire his weapon.
According to officials, Johnson was a woman’s accessory designer, who was laid off from his job at Hazan Imports, where Ercolino was a sales executive.
Ercolino’s brother Paul told the Wall Street Journal, “He was the person that everyone came to. He was the guy who would light up a room when he came in. If my son needed something, boom, he would have it for him. He would do something for anyone.”
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