Now, girls, let me just back up to little over a month ago. On the morning of July 20, 2012, as Monsieur and I were getting ready for work, the TV set firmly fixed on New York 1, he called out to me, "Come hear this! There was a shooting in a movie theater at the 'Batman' movie!" My first thought, honestly, was "Great! Some nut has gone off his nut here in New York!" Imagine my shock when it turned out to be Colorado--again!--that state bearing forever the imprint of Columbine.
And then there was yesterday. I was blithely going about my business, morning coffee, writing my blog posts, when my friend, Harvey, called. "Did you hear about the shooting?, he asked. "What shooting, " I replied. "Near the Empire State Building," he explained. "Oh, my God!," I thought, Now it has happened HERE?" So, after finishing business, I turned to the news spots for information, of which there was very little. I knew immediately I would eventually blog about this, but something about this whole thing bothered me, and I knew my blog would be done in my own, inimitable, unconventional way.
Because.
While I feel deeply for the victims--all of them--and their families, I do a feel a sense of compassion for the shooter and his family. And even though there is enough information out there, enough discrepancies and questions still abound.
What IS known is that the shooter was Jeffrey Johnson, who worked at the Hazan Import Company at 10 West 33rd Street, for about 15 years. It is known that Johnson was laid off from his job there, after 15 years, and that he had ongoing disputes with Steve Ercolino, also at the company. Yesterday morning, Mr. Johnson, who apparently knew his coworker's routine, arrived at the building, impeccably dressed in a grey busienss suit, as though showing up for work (which was part of his daily routine, anyway, according to his Super; clearly the guy had OCD!!!!!) where he saw Ercolino leave to get some coffee and such. He followed, the two got into a verbal confrontation, and then Johnson shot Ercolino, 41 years of age, living with a girlfriend in Jersey, to whom he was apparently engaged, in the head, and then again, for revenge sake. He then walked off, as calmly as though going to a business meeting, but was spotted by at least one construction worker, who alerted cops to what had happened, they shot at Johnson, and he went down. But not before eleven others were injured and grazed. And not necessarily by shots from Mr. Johnson!!!!!!!!!!!
This is what is known. But so many questions remain, which I hope will get answered.
Why do some stories say Johnson was 53, while others say 58? Why do some say he was fired a year ago, some two years, and some say just the day before? What made Johnson snap on that particular morning? This was a man who lived alone, in a well kept apartment on the sixth floor of an East 82nd Street walkup. According to his downstairs neighbor and Super, he was neat, fastidious, constantly cleaning and vacuuming, had two cats, and was a creature of habit, from the way he left each morning for McDonald's, coming back with breakfast, and spending the day indoors.
According to what I read, the ongoing dispute centered over Ercolino's unwillingness to sell the products Johnson designed. The reason is not known. It is known that each threatened the other; Ercolino physically grabbed Johnson once, and Johnson pointedly said to him, though who could have known, "Someday, I am going to kill you!" Which he did. Some say Johnson's being laid off was due to simple economics and downsizing. Others that he was spending too much time working on his own personal website and design business, and not enough on his job at Hazan. The former is probably how he spent those days indoors. That, maybe putting out resumes, but definitely brooding over Ercolino.
Now, here is where things get dicey. I don't like what I see in the faces of either. In Mr. Johnson I see a sad, lonely soul, who for whatever reason was not able to reach out to people. He had two cats; but honeys, don't start on me about sexual orientation, because when it comes down to things in this case, it does not matter. What matters is that Johnson, from losing his job, and his loneliness, was in a great deal of emotional pain, which it sounds like he did not seek help about. You can see it in his eyes, which have the look of both sadness, and a coldness suggesting him well capable of doing what he did. Clearly, a dangerous combination!!!!!!! He and Ercolino were said to have mutual harassment on both sides, but what kind of harassment? Not sexual; probably more like personality. Or maybe even workplace bullying; Ercolino seems the type!!!!! Because the photo of Ercolino shows someone whom I consider an arrogant, testosterone fueled Alpaha Male, who thinks they are God's gift--the kind of person I would despise myself. Again, some stories described him as just a coworker; others an office manager; still others as the Vice President of Sales. Someone I would not be able to work with. But I cannot imagine killing them. For one thing, I have rationale and impulse control; for another, what would I know about using firearms, and I have no interest in doing so!!!!!!!!!!!!
Johnson came to NYC by way of Sarasota, Florida. He has been here since 1992, and owned hs gun since '91. Why would a fashion designer, who is NOT high end, like Ralph Lauren, say, need a gun????? And where would he get the skill to use it? Which brings up the question of how do these people learn to use these things oh so skillfully? What of those who go to practicing ranges? Are they going there for legit reasons, or not? Is there any way to screen them, driving out the loonies??? The time ahs come when I think this is necessary!!!!!!!!!!!
And why didn't Hazan Imports, who clearly must have noticed the animosity between these two workers, deal with it? Mental illness is all around us, and the workplace can sometimes be a breeding ground for it. Perhaps, while still employed, Mr. Johnson should have been forced to seek help! Perhaps if this had been done, he and Ercolino would be alive.
I am not about to defend Corporaton America, which, in part, is responsible for bringing down both Johnson and Ercolino. Nor am I going to defend killing someone for animosity's sake. My best approach to dealing with the latter has been--out of sight, out of mind! But aparently, it was not enough for Mr. Johnson, and we may never know why.
The only visitor he ever had to his apartment was his mother.
How sad that is, how sad his frustration and loneliness drove him to this, and how frustrating and sad for
Mr. Ercolino's family.
What else?
Mr. Johnson graduated from a college of art and design in Florida. Considering how things turned out yesterday, one has to ask--was his death a suicide by police? It cerainly sounds like it.
What is scary to me is that there are other Jeffrey Johnsons out there, not just in New York, but everywhere. They are alone. And waiting. The
majoirty of them may not snap in this way, but they are in painful isolation.
Our society at large needs to reach out to them!!!!!!!!!!
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