Details are emerging about the man who opened fire at the Empire State Building today, killing his former boss.
Mayor Michael Bloomberg identified the shooter as 53-year-old Jeffrey Johnson. According to NYC Police Commissioner Ray Kelly, Johnson for Hazan Imports Corporation.
The New York Times metro desk tweeted that Johnson was 58, not 53, and lives on East 82nd Street in Manhattan.
He apparently lost his job a year ago when the company downsized, Women's Wear Daily reported:
Johnson worked in graphics at Hazan. According to a source within the company, he worked there for 15 years, designing line sheets and catalogues. He was not, as reported, a handbag or accessories designer.
"It wasn't like he [Johnson] did anything wrong," the source said, as to why Johnson was laid off. "It was simply economics."
The New York Post reported that Johnson stalked his former boss down the street and shot him. A relative identified the victim as Steve Ercolino. His LinkedIn page says he's the vice president of sales at Hazan.
According to a company profile on ZoomInfo, Hazan Imports employs between 50 and 100 people and focuses on budget handbags. It's located at 10 West 33rd street, right near the Empire State Building:
We also found a posting on business-to-business platform TooToo, written by a Jeff Johnson two years ago on behalf of Hazan Imports. The poster asks where he could have thousands of cardboard hang tags made.
We called Hazan Imports Corporation this morning. The person who answered the phone said the company had no comment and hung up.
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