Witness recounts Midtown Manhattan shooting: 'I texted my parents that I loved them'

Yahoo

11 hours ago

Jessica Chen was watching a presentation on the second floor of 345 Park Ave. in Midtown Manhattan on Monday evening with about 150 people when she said she heard multiple gunshots fired "in quick succession" on the floor below her.
She rushed into a conference room with dozens of others, where they eventually barricaded themselves in the room using tables and "just stayed still," she told ABC News Live in a phone interview Monday night.
"I think it was very, very apparent through all this that a lot of us were young, a lot of us went through training in elementary school of what to do in an active shooter situation," she said. "We were all unfortunately prepared."
MORE: 3 dead, including off-duty NYPD police officer, in Midtown Manhattan shooting: Sources
A man wearing body armor and carrying a high-powered rifle had shot and killed at least four people, including an off-duty police officer working security at the building, police sources told ABC News. After apparently barricading himself on the 33rd floor, the suspect was found dead from what is believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, sources added.
Amid the active situation, people desperately searched for places to hide in the conference room on the second floor, Chen said.
"We were hiding behind the large monitor. A lot of people were on the ground. We flipped a lot of the tables up," she said. "Some people, if they were a bit later getting there, they really, unfortunately, had to just pull curtains over themselves."
Chen said someone in the room with her had a "direct line" with police who were able to update them as the incident unfolded and told them to stay in place. She said a lot of people were also on their phones, checking for updates on the situation and reaching out to loved ones.
"I texted my parents that I loved them," she said. "I texted people good in my life that I love them."
She said those in the room tried to help each other stay calm as much as possible.
"We were honestly really, really scared," she said. "Every American has likely thought through the situation of what should they do if an active shooter happened? I've gone through some semi-close cases in elementary school, but even then, nothing could have prepared any of us."
"I think all of us were frozen," she continued. "All of us were shocked. Nothing could describe that feeling."
MORE: 3 dead, several injured in shooting outside casino in Reno: Police
Once they confirmed the shooter was on the 33rd floor, police had them walk out slowly in an orderly fashion, she said.
She said she wasn't wearing shoes when she left and stepped on glass, though was otherwise doing OK.
"I think that a lot of the people I've talked to, we're all coming to the same conclusion that this happens too often in America," Chen said. "We really do thank all the schools from across America that make sure to very regularly train their students on exactly what to do in situations like this."
"It's very unfortunate that all Americans have had to think it through, but it is the reality of the world we live in," she added.