Jiverly Wong - The Binghamton Murderer

Jiverly Wong aka Jiverly Voong aka Linh Phat Voong, 42 killed 13 people at the American Civic Association before turning the gun on himself. Although no one knows why Wong walked into the ACA building and became the worst mass murderer in Binghamton's history, more details have emerged about his life.

Voong arrived in Binghamton with his family from Vietnam sometime in the late 1980s or early 1990s. He however did not stay there but moved to California, where he was arrested on check-forgery charges in Rosemead and convicted of misdemeanor fraud in 1992. He got married, had two children with his wife, and later divorced in California.

Voong became a naturalized citizen in November 1995. Shortly after becoming a citizen Voong left the country and did not return until Dec. 25, 1999, when he arrived in Los Angeles on a plane from Tokyo, Japan. After failing to report for work in July of 2007, Voong turned up in Binghamton, where he received a New York State drivers license.

At some point Voong changed his name to Jiverly Wong because he said that "Americans can't pronounce my real name." He also had problems with English. Friends and family have said that Wong often felt humiliated and picked on because he didn't speak English well. He was taking English classes at the American Civic Association until he dropped out in the first week of March.

Wong not only had problems with English but also with Vietnamese. Even though the family migrated from Vietnam, Wong's first language was a Chinese dialect. He spoke neither English nor Vietnamese very well.

Sam Quach, who works at the Hang Phat Market and ran into Jiverly Wong at the gym two weeks ago, said Wong struggled to fit into the English-speaking community, as well as the Vietnamese one. Wong said that when he first immigrated to America, he would go to parties but other Vietnamese would make fun of him because he did not understand certain Vietnamese phrases, Quach recalled. Eventually, Wong stopped trying to socialize, Quach said.

People who worked with Wong describe him as a loner. According to Kevin Greene, who worked with him at the Shop Vac assembly plant in Binghamton before it closed in November:

"I asked him if he liked the Yanks," and "he said, 'No, I don't like that team. I don't like America. America sucks.'"

Kevin Greene, who lives outside of Binghamton, said he worked with Voong - whom co-workers knew as Jiverly Wong - for a few months. He told FBI investigators he and a buddy used to joke about how they thought Voong "would come in mad one day and shoot people. He seemed like that kind of guy."

Donald Ackley, who worked with the gunman at the Shop Vac Assembly plant from where he had recently been laid off, said: "He made some off-the-wall comments like he wanted to kill the president. We all thought he was an oddball. He was always talking about guns."

In fact Jiverly Wong did seem to like guns - a lot. Wong had two handguns registered to him on a gun permit he got in 1996 or 1997, police said. Broome County Sheriff David Harder said Wong last bought a handgun on March 17. but he could not say whether that gun was one of the two used in the killing spree.

Wong used to regularly visit Gander Mountain, an outdoors store in Johnson City, where he lived. He frequently exchanged guns at the store, said Dave Henderson, Gander Mountain's outdoor education series coordinator. Wong would buy a handgun and shoot it for a few weeks before returning it, saying he didn't like the gun, Henderson said.

"He was in there real regular. Everybody knew him," Henderson said.

Henderson, whose primary role at Gander Mountain is to teach and organize seminars, said he worked the gun counter when staffing at the store was low. In the 20 or so times he worked the gun counter in the past six months, Henderson said Wong either bought or exchanged guns five or six times. Wong bought a .45-caliber handgun within the past month and a half Henderson said. Each time he bought or exchanged a weapon, Wong had to pass an FBI background check. He also frequently grew agitated when store employees couldn't understand his English, Henderson said. A couple of times, Henderson had to pass Wong off to another store employee because Wong would get annoyed.

"He would get frustrated," Henderson said in a telephone interview from Madison, Wis., where he was attending a gun show. "There were times I wouldn't even talk to him anymore."

Henderson saw news reports about the massacre in Binghamton. When Wong's name was released, he recognized the first name instantly, he said, but the last name was slightly different than Wong's driver's license and gun permit. He said he called the manager of the store, who checked the records and confirmed Wong bought guns at Gander Mountain.

In the meantime, all of the victims in the deadly shooting have been identified and the community is now beginning a long healing process, officials said. People from eight different countries, including the US, were victims of Jiverly Wong's Massacre in Binghamton:

From China

• Li Guo 47 Binghamton, NY


• Hong Xiu Mao 35 Greene NY


• Hai Hong Zhong 54 Endwell, NY


• Jiang Ling 22 Endicott, NY

From Haiti

• Marc Henry Bernard 44 Endicott, NY


• Maria Sonia Bernard 46 Endicott, NY

From USA

• Maria Zobniw 60 Binghamton, NY


• Roberta Bobby King 72 Binghamton, NY

From Vietnam

• Lan Ho 39 Binghamton, NY


• Jiverly A. Wong 42 Johnson City, NY   **The Gunman**

From Pakistan

• Parveen Nln Ali 26 Binghamton, NY

From The Philippines

• Dolores Yigal 53 Binghamton, NY

From Iraq

• Layla Khalil 57 Binghamton, NY

From Brazil

• Almir O. Alves 43 Unknown

One victim of the massacre managed to survive a gunshot wound to the abdomen. She pretended to be dead and when Wong moved on to claim the lives of 12 other people, she bravely managed to call the police and alert them to what was happening. Her name is Shirley DeLucia, 61.

"She is a hero, there's just no two ways about it," DeLucia's niece, Lynette Menichelli, tearfully told the Daily News. "For us, we are not surprised she did what she did, she's such a wonderful person. We are just so proud of her."

Shirley DeLucia came into work on Friday morning as usual. She was always willing to help immigrants on their path to citizenship. She had spent her life volunteering and was the first person neighbors turned to in a time of need, friends said. It was her call for help that brought the police so quickly to the scene. A receptionist working alongside DeLucia died at the scene along with 12 others in a neighboring classroom. 37 students and teachers managed to escape, thanks in part to DeLucia's quick thinking.

"She kept us abreast the best she could of what was going on inside the building," Binghamton Police Chief Joseph Zikusky said. "She's a heroine and I believe she saved some lives," Zikusky said.

DeLucia was in the intensive care unit at Wilson Regional Medical Center yesterday. Relatives said she had been taken off a ventilator and was expected to make a full recovery.

UPDATE: A letter was sent by the gunman see details here

Pittsburgh Cops Ambushed, 3 Killed

Richard "Pop" Poplawski, 23, of the Stanton Heights area of Pittsburgh is a killer, responsible for the deaths of three police officers. The officers were responding to a domestic disturbance call placed by Poplawski's mother, Margaret Poplawski, 41, on Saturday morning April 4, 2009. Police Chief Nathan Harper said there had been at least two previous calls to that residence for domestic problems. Neighbors say that there had been many more such calls over the years as mother and son would get into fights.

Typically, the police “would come and be the peacemaker, and it would be over,” said Geraldine Lejpras, who lives across the street from the Poplawskis. “But not this time.”

It all began about 7 am when officers responded to a call at the Poplawski residence. Richard Poplawski was waiting for them. He wore a bullet-proof jacket and was armed with an AK-47 rifle, a .22 long rifle and a pistol.

[wpvideo 1FsQPwsG]

The officers, Paul Sciullo III and his partner Stephen Mayhle, were not aware that they were walking into a death trap. As they approached the front door officer Sciullo was in the lead followed closely by his partner. When the door opened the officers were greeted with gunfire. Both officers were caught unaware and fatally shot in the head.

That was when officer Eric Kelly - whose shift had just ended and was returning home - heard the call and decided to check out the situation. He arrived just in time to see his fellow officers being shot. A neighbor, Michele Ostrowski, said she saw the scene unfold when Officer Kelly arrived.

“He got out of the car and I saw him get shot and he landed on the sidewalk,” Ms. Ostrowski said in a telephone interview, her voice shaking.

Officer Kelly, who was critically wounded, managed to call for assistance. The next officer to arrive, Timothy McManaway, was shot in the hand as he rushed to help Officer Kelly, though he managed to fire at Mr. Poplawski, possibly wounding him in the leg.

That was the beginning of a gun battle that would go on for the next four hours between Poplawski and the police as the three wounded officers lay dying outside his house. During the shootout another officer, Brian Jones who was trying to slip behind the house broke his leg climbing a fence.

“It sounded like an actual war zone,” said Georgia Marciniak, who lives just behind the Poplawskis’ home. “It was absolutely scary.”

The standoff came to an end about 11 am when Poplawski gave up and surrendered to the police. He was led out of the house in handcuffs, bloodied from wounds to his thigh and right shoulder.

Dead are:

• Paul Sciullo III, a two-year veteran of the force. He was single and leaves behind his parents and two siblings.


• Stephen Mayhle, a two-year veteran of the force. He was married and leaves behind his wife and two daughters.


• Eric Kelly, a 14-year veteran of the force. He was married and leaves behind his wife and three daughters.

Police chief Nate Harper says the motive for Saturday's shooting isn't clear. Friends say the gunman recently had been upset about losing his job and that he feared the Obama administration was poised to ban guns.

Edward Perkovic said Poplawski, his best friend, feared "the Obama gun ban that's on the way" and "didn't like our rights being infringed upon." Another longtime friend, Aaron Vire, said Poplawski feared that President Barack Obama was going to take away his rights, though he said he "wasn't violently against Obama."

[wpvideo LVbl2P32]

While he was battling the police from his house, Poplawski found time to call his friend Edward Perkovic around 8:30 am:

Perkovic, 22, said he got a call at work from him in which he said, "Eddie, I am going to die today. ... Tell your family I love them and I love you."

Perkovic said: "I heard gunshots and he hung up. ... He sounded like he was in pain, like he got shot."

"This was a complete surprise to me and my family and everyone's families that were friends with him. Nobody ever expected something like this from him," said Perkovic.

As it turns out this was not the first time Poplawski has been in trouble with the law:

[wpvideo L73p9txP]

Poplawski is charged with three counts of criminal homicide - relating to the shootings of officers Eric Kelly, Paul Sciullo III and Stephen Mayhle - and a count of aggravated assault against Officer Timothy McManaway, who suffered a hand wound.

Massacre in Binghamton

For the third time this week innocent people have died at the hands of gunmen. The latest incident happened in Binghamton, NY where a gunman - later identified as Jiverly Voong, 42, also known as Linh Phat Voong - killed 13 people and seriously injured 4 others before turning his gun on himself. 37 people who were also in the building at the time of the shootings were evacuated safely afterward.

[wpvideo kUL78LRI]

It all began about 10:30 am April, 3, 2009 when Voong entered the American Civic Association building in downtown Binghamton. However before entering the building he parked a car, borrowed from a friend, blocking the rear exit of the building so no one could escape. He was armed with two handguns - a 9 mm and a .45 caliber. He also had a satchel around his neck containing ammunition, a survival knife and a flashlight. He was wearing a bright green nylon jacket and dark-rimmed glasses.

Upon entering the building Voong began shooting immediately, his first two victims were female receptionists. He killed one of them but the second one survived, pretending to be dead, and as soon as the gunman left she crawled under a table and called 911. Voong then proceeded on his rampage and managed to kill a total of 13 people while seriously injuring 4 others. By 10:33 am, when the police arrived, it was all over. From beginning to end the incident lasted only a couple of minutes.

Zhanar Tokhtabayeva, a 30-year-old from Kazakhstan, said she was in an English class when she heard a shot and her teacher screamed for everyone to go to the storage room.

“I heard the shots, every shot. I heard no screams, just silence, shooting,” she said. “I heard shooting, very long time, and I was thinking, when will this stop? I was thinking that my life was finished.”

In all 26 people stayed in the storage room for three hours while police methodically searched the building and tried to determine whether the gunman was still alive and whether he was holding any hostages. They stayed in contact with police by cell phone, switching from one phone to another when their batteries ran out. Others hid in closets and under desks.

[wpvideo 6zmxwKS7]

Linh Phat Voong, 42, a Vietnamese immigrant, lived in nearby Johnson City. According to his sister, he is an American citizen who has been in the country for 28 years. The authorities have no idea why he went on this shooting spree. His sister said he had gone to take language classes earlier at the civic association and she had not heard from him since. She claimed that she did not know that he was involved in the shootings.

"The police just called me and said he got shot," she said. Asked if she was aware that he might have been involved in the shooting, she said: "How? He didn't have a gun. I think somebody involved, not him. I think he got shot by somebody else."

Police searched Voong's house and carried out three computer hard drives, a brown canvas rifle case, a briefcase, a small suitcase and several paper bags.

The American Civic Association, Inc. located at 131 Front Street, Binghamton, NY provides immigration and refugee services, including language classes, to many in the area. It released a statement saying it shares "this grief with the victims' families, our community and the entire nation."

[wpvideo cwmLzpXx]

Gov. David Paterson said the massacre was probably “the worst tragedy and senseless crime in the history of this city.” Noting mass killings in Alabama and Oakland, Calif., last month, he said: “When are we going to be able to curb the kind of violence that is so fraught and so rapid that we can’t even keep track of the incidents?”

President Barack Obama said he was shocked and saddened by the shooting, which he called an "act of senseless violence." He said he and his wife, Michelle Obama, were praying for the victims, their families and the people of Binghamton.

Some people were actually taking their examinations to become US citizens at the time of the shooting, according to US Vice President Joe Biden. "We have got to figure out a way to deal with this senseless, senseless violence," said Biden.

Representative Maurice Hinchey, whose district includes Binghamton, said "He went there purposefully and intentionally," Hinchey was quoted as saying. "I can't believe that this wonderful, beautiful little city would have this kind of experience."

This was the third mass killing this week, preceded by:

• Robert Stewart, 45, shot and killed eight people at Pinelake Health and Rehab in North Carolina on Sunday


• Devan Kalathat, 42, killed five family members before committing suicide in California also on Sunday

13-Year-Old Alfie is not the Daddy

Alfie Patten is the 13-year-old British lad who was supposed to be the youngest father in Britain. Now that dubious title will have to be passed on to someone else. After the results of the DNA test came back, it was determined that he was not, after all, the father of  little Maisie Roxanne born to 15-year-old Chantelle Steadman - who had vehemently proclaimed that "There has been no one else". In fact many neighborhood boys had come forward to say that they too had had sex with Chantelle Steadman and claimed to be the father. It is not clear who the baby's real father is.

When both 14-year-old Tyle Barker and 16-year-old Richard Goodsell stepped forward to say that they may be the baby's father (with many others following), Alfie was distraught. According to his  43-year-old mother Nicola Patten:

"He's absolutely devastated these lads have come forward to say they slept with her at the time she got pregnant. Everything is wrong. Now that is in his mind and I'm not happy. I don't know where they get this from. I mean, that's my son, that's his baby. Alfie is distraught and upset about everything. But Maisie is fine."

However, Nicola decided that the only way to confirm that Alfie was indeed the father, was to take a DNA test. Max Clifford, the publicist representing Alfie and his family, said:

"Nicola has agreed that DNA tests are the best way to resolve the issue of paternity. It is inevitable there are going to be doubts, particularly with the number of boys who've come forward claiming to have had sex with Chantelle. There is one boy in particular who does seem to have a stronger resemblance to the child."

Now that the truth is out: What will Alfie do, why did Chantelle lie and who is the real father? To be continued..........

Are Beautiful People more Intelligent?

According to Satoshi Kanazaw, an evolutionary psychologist and author, it is indeed true that there is a direct co-relation between beauty and intelligence. There is a widely held opinion that physically attractive people are more intelligent, competent and possess many other desirable characteristics.

A large number of experiments over the years have shown that, when asked to rate the intelligence or competence of unknown others, people tend to rate attractive others as more intelligent and competent than unattractive others.  This sentiment is captured in an old aphorism “What is beautiful is good.”

Kanazaw goes on to explain that the recognition of beauty is innate and independent of culture. Using studies done on infants, 5-year-old kids and adults he concludes that the stereotype, like most stereotypes, is true and there is much truth in sayings such as: “What is beautiful is good.”

It is a stereotype that beautiful people are more intelligent.  But, as I explain in an earlier post, virtually all stereotypes are empirically true; if they were not true, they would not be stereotypes in the first place.  And it turns out that this one is no exception.  People believe beautiful people are more intelligent, because they in fact are.

He refers to experiments done in 2000-2001. Participants in the experiment were asked to take an IQ test called the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test.  The participants were also graded, by an independent interviewer, on their attractiveness. The results showed a "clear monotonic positive association between physical attractiveness and intelligence."

• Very unattractive - Mean IQ=94.2


• Unattractive - Mean IQ=94.9


• About average - Mean IQ=97.1


• Attractive - Mean IQ=100.3


• Very attractive - Mean IQ=100.7

The experiment also found that on average men were slightly more intelligent than women but women were slightly more attractive than men.

What does all this mean? I don't know..... but maybe a "tummy tuck" or a "face lift" can improve your intelligence??