On April 3, 2009, Jiverly Voong (also known as Linh Phat Voong and Jivery Wong) held a number of people hostage inside the American Civic Association Building in Binghamton, New York for several hours.ABC News: Gunman Kills 13, Wounds 26 at Aid Group for Immigrants (April 3, 2009) After shooting 13 people and wounding 26 others, Voong shot himself.ABC News: Gunman Kills 13, Wounds 26 at Aid Group for Immigrants (April 3, 2009)

On April 6, a letter purportedly written by Voong was published. Dated March 18, it had been sent to the local New York TV station News 10. In the rambling, two-page document, he identifies himself as "Jiverly Wong Shooting the people", describes being continually harassed by an "undercover cop," and says "I can not accepted my poor life."AP: Transcript of letter purportedly sent by NY gunman (April 6, 2009)

• 10:30 am: 911 dispatchers received a flurry of calls in broken English
• 10:33 am: Police arrived at the Civic Center
• 10:38 am: Wounded receptionist Shirley DeLucia calls 911
• 11:13 am: SWAT team arrived at the Civic Center
• 11:27 am: Police reached DeLuciaNewsday: Identities of Binghamton shooting victims released (April 5, 2009)

Voong was a resident of Johnson City, N.Y., where he lived with his parents. On the morning of April 3, Voong backed his car up to the rear door of the American Civic Association Building in downtown Binghamton, blocking the back door.ABC News: Gunman Kills 13, Wounds 26 at Aid Group for Immigrants (April 3, 2009) He then walked around to the front of the building, armed with a 9 mm pistol, a 45-caliber handgun, and a hunting knife, and opened fire.ABC News: Gunman Kills 13, Wounds 26 at Aid Group for Immigrants (April 3, 2009) Among the first people killed was the receptionist at the building's front desk. Voong spoke Vietnamese, and during the ensuing standoff with police, Professor Tuong Nguyen had been brought in to help with translation. When the police entered the building, Voong had turned his gun on himself.Press & Sun-Bulletin: Shooting at American Civic Association (April 3, 2009)

According to Binghamton Mayor Matthew Ryan, Voong was distraught over his recent job loss and the fact that he could not speak English well.ABC News: N.Y. Gunman 'Angry,' Distraught Over Employment and English Skills Voong was laid off from a Shop Vac assembly plant in November of 2008. He was described as a troubled man, who felt he was ridiculed for his accent, and who often made off the wall anti-American comments. Voong was also reportedly depressed over his wife and children leaving him.New York Daily News: Who is Jiverly Voong aka Jiverly Wong? ...

According to police sources, Voong first came to the area in the 1980s, but soon moved to California, where he married and divorced. He returned to the Binghamton area in 2007. He had been taking classes at the center and was upset over losing a job.

He purchased the two semi-automatic handguns used in the shootings locally, and had them licensed, and visited a firing range at least once a week, sometimes more frequently. At the time of the shootings, he was wearing body armor; New York limits access to body armor to law enforcement.CNN: Police defend response to Binghamton mass shooting (April 5, 2009)

On April 5, a list of victims was released to the public; all but two were immigrants from Pakistan, Haiti, Iraq, China, Vietnam, Brazil and the Philippines.Newsday: Identities of Binghamton shooting victims released (April 5, 2009)