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Despite the letter's reference to
Palestine and Zionists, Abu Kamal's widow offered another explanation that the real motive for the shooting spree was not political but rooted in financial ruin. The letter had also named two business partners, who Abu Kamal claimed swindled him out of money, losing
327:
According to law enforcement officials, Abu Kamal's attack was premeditated, based on his visit to the observation deck the day before the shooting. A pair of identical letters, one in
English and one in Arabic, was also found in a pouch around his neck. The letters were a diatribe against the "Big
362:
A Palestinian
Authority official advised us to say the attack was not for political reasons because that would harm the peace agreement with Israel. We didn't know that he was martyred for patriotic motivations, so we repeated what we were told to do... His goal was patriotic. He wanted to take
42:
316:. He became a well-respected English teacher at a local high school and a university, and he was also a well-paid tutor and accomplished translator. He earned about $ 3,000 a month and lived in an affluent neighborhood with his wife, and had six children.
363:
revenge from the
Americans, the British, the French and the Israelis... He wrote that after he raised his children and made sure that his family was all right he decided to avenge in the highest building in America to make sure they get his message.
267:
said they did not know whether it was said in an effort to spare or identify potential victims. Surviving victims however witness that Abu Kamal asked them in a friendly way whether "you are
Italian or American?" before the shooting started.
242:
Ten years after the shooting, Abu Kamal's daughter revealed that she had lied in hiding that her father's actions had in fact been motivated by
Palestinian nationalism. Her mother's 1997 account was a cover story fabricated by the
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336:$ 300,000 in a business venture. At that point, she said he became suicidal. His daughter added that he could not return home after losing the money. Fathiya Abu Kamal told the press:
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In 1996, he decided his family should relocate to the United States for a better life. He obtained a legal nonimmigrant visa and arrived in New York on
December 24, 1996.
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musician who was living in New York and played in a band. He was visiting the Empire State
Building with bandmate Matthew Gross, who was critically wounded in the attack.
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called for more consistent gun control laws across the US, saying "It should be as difficult to get a gun in
Florida as it is in New York City."
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that her father wanted to punish the U.S. for supporting Israel and revealed that her mother's 1997 account was a cover story fabricated by the
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239:. At the time, Abu Kamal's widow stated the shooting spree was not politically motivated, but rooted in his despondency over financial ruin.
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Law enforcement officials ruled it was a premeditated attack after finding notes indicating Abu Kamal's anger over
Palestine and
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My husband is not a terrorist, he was just hopeless. He was aged, he had nothing to do with politics, or terrorism, or crime.
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that he apparently bought in Florida at the end of January 1997. Abu Kamal killed one person and wounded another six before
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reported that Abu Kamal's daughter, Linda, was "tired of lying" about her father's motives for the attack. She told the
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259:, one of New York City's most popular tourist attractions. Before he started shooting, he muttered something about
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232:. The gunman killed one person and wounded six others before taking his own life with a gunshot to the head.
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Three" of the United States, France, and England for their mistreatment of Palestinians, as well as against
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Abu Kamal opened fire shortly after 5 p.m. on February 23, 1997, on the 86th floor observation deck of the
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as Abu Kamal sought revenge against the Americans, the British, and the French for supporting Israel.
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Shooting on the observation deck of the Empire State Building in Manhattan, New York City
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on September 19, 1927. He was the son of a refugee family that fled the city during the
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Ali Hassan Abu Kamal was a 69-year-old Palestinian English teacher. He was born in
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The sole murder victim was 27-year-old Christoffer Burmeister, a
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285:. He was taken to a hospital where he died five hours later.
60:
220:
On February 23, 1997, Ali Hassan Abu Kamal, a 69-year-old
589:"From Teacher to Gunman: U.S. Visit Ends in Fatal Rage"
1205:
Antisemitic attacks and incidents in the United States
475:"Gunman shoots 7, kills self at Empire State Building"
224:
teacher, opened fire on the observation deck of the
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556:"The Gunman Premeditated The Attack, Officials Say"
344:In February 2007, 10 years after the shooting, the
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80:
34:
263:, apparently shouting, "Are you from Egypt?" The
73:Location of the Empire State Building (Manhattan)
1220:Terrorist incidents in the United States in 1997
691:
8:
648:"Giuliani blames weak gun laws for shooting"
527:"Shooter Bought Gun By Using New Florida Id"
618:"Killer's daughter admits it was political"
372:Following the shooting New York City Mayor
698:
684:
676:
40:
31:
1200:February 1997 crimes in the United States
1185:1997 mass shootings in the United States
332:, which he said oppressed Palestinians.
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616:Mahmoud Habboush (February 20, 2007).
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609:
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1225:Islamic terrorism in New York (state)
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640:
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67:Location of the Empire State Building
7:
1230:Terrorist incidents in New York City
1215:Attacks in the United States in 1997
587:N.R. Kleinfeld (February 25, 1997).
1140:mass shootings in the United States
707:Mass shootings in the United States
656:. February 24, 1997. Archived from
554:Matthew Purdy (February 25, 1997).
450:2012 Empire State Building shooting
35:1997 Empire State Building shooting
997:Colebrook, NH & Bloomfield, VT
25:
1180:1997 murders in the United States
1240:Murder–suicides in New York City
414:
400:
386:
59:
52:
1265:Mass shootings in New York City
1255:Deaths by firearm in Manhattan
1235:Palestinian political violence
88:, New York City, United States
1:
1210:Antisemitism in New York City
445:2011 Manhattan terrorism plot
430:1994 Brooklyn Bridge shooting
188:2 (including the perpetrator)
283:shooting himself in the head
271:The shooter used a 14-shot
1281:
1136:
440:2009 Bronx terrorism plot
116:40.7484333°N 73.9856556°W
48:
39:
435:2000 Bronx terror attack
84:Observation deck of the
1250:Murder in New York City
121:40.7484333; -73.9856556
365:
342:
137:; 27 years ago
1245:Empire State Building
1190:1997 in New York City
360:
356:Palestinian Authority
338:
310:1948 Arab-Israeli War
257:Empire State Building
245:Palestinian Authority
226:Empire State Building
135:23 February 1997
86:Empire State Building
1050:Jefferson County, AR
1044:Craighead County, AR
875:Garden City Park, NY
834:Great Barrington, MA
394:New York City portal
204:Ali Hassan Abu Kamal
18:Ali Hassan Abu Kamal
1260:Crimes in Manhattan
985:North Hollywood, CA
535:. February 25, 1997
532:The Washington Post
481:. February 24, 1997
347:New York Daily News
112: /
1195:1990s in Manhattan
722:Quitman County, MS
593:The New York Times
561:The New York Times
1167:
1166:
979:New York City, NY
933:New York City, NY
863:San Francisco, CA
501:"The Long Shadow"
312:and resettled in
306:Mandate Palestine
218:
217:
16:(Redirected from
1272:
1144:1980s and before
1142:by time period (
1021:West Paducah, KY
869:Fayetteville, NC
734:Jacksonville, FL
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162:Mass shooting
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107:73°59′08.36″W
104:40°44′54.36″N
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95:
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1127:Honolulu, HI
1080:Muskegon, MI
1056:Edinboro, PA
978:
929:(Jun. 17–21)
851:Palatine, IL
740:Berkeley, CA
736:(Jun. 17–18)
709:in the 1990s
662:. Retrieved
658:the original
651:
627:. Retrieved
621:
596:. Retrieved
592:
565:. Retrieved
559:
549:
537:. Retrieved
530:
521:
511:November 28,
509:. Retrieved
504:
495:
483:. Retrieved
478:
408:1990s portal
371:
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318:
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273:.380-caliber
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241:
234:
219:
213:Anti-Zionism
29:
1109:Atlanta, GA
991:Detroit, MI
956:Jackson, MS
927:NJ & NY
904:Gadsden, AL
898:Bucyrus, OH
857:Langley, VA
828:Houston, TX
787:Killeen, TX
775:Waddell, AZ
664:October 17,
296:Perpetrator
222:Palestinian
201:Perpetrator
157:Attack type
119: /
94:Coordinates
1174:Categories
1068:Tacoma, WA
1027:Bartow, FL
973:Bethel, AK
881:Aurora, CO
805:Austin, TX
769:Denver, CO
763:Florin, CA
757:Boston, MA
623:Daily News
456:References
352:Daily News
276:Beretta 84
176:Beretta 84
142:1997-02-23
1123:(Sep. 15)
1117:(Aug. 10)
1111:(Jul. 29)
1099:(Apr. 20)
1082:(Nov. 29)
1076:(Jul. 24)
1058:(Apr. 24)
1052:(Mar. 25)
1046:(Mar. 24)
1017:(Nov. 13)
1009:Pearl, MS
1005:(Sep. 15)
1003:Aiken, SC
999:(Aug. 19)
993:(Mar. 11)
987:(Feb. 28)
981:(Feb. 23)
975:(Feb. 19)
958:(Apr. 25)
906:(Apr. 16)
900:(Feb. 13)
883:(Dec. 14)
859:(Jan. 25)
836:(Dec. 14)
830:(Jun. 20)
801:(Nov. 14)
789:(Oct. 16)
777:(Aug. 10)
771:(Jun. 16)
759:(Jan. 12)
742:(Sep. 28)
730:(Feb. 10)
505:Strangers
368:Aftermath
147:5:00 pm (
1138:Part of
1129:(Nov. 2)
1105:(Jun. 3)
1070:(Jul. 5)
1064:(May 21)
1029:(Dec. 3)
1023:(Dec. 1)
1011:(Oct. 1)
952:(Feb. 2)
935:(Dec. 8)
912:(Nov. 7)
877:(Dec. 7)
871:(Aug. 6)
865:(Jul. 1)
853:(Jan. 8)
807:(Dec. 6)
795:(Nov. 1)
783:(Sep. 2)
765:(Apr. 4)
724:(Feb. 2)
380:See also
251:Shooting
81:Location
824:(May 1)
598:May 16,
567:May 15,
539:June 8,
485:May 15,
330:Zionism
279:handgun
193:Injured
179:handgun
172:Weapons
140: (
507:. KCRW
323:Motive
290:Danish
237:Israel
209:Motive
185:Deaths
1160:2020s
1156:2010s
1152:2000s
1148:1990s
302:Jaffa
261:Egypt
1090:1999
1037:1998
966:1997
943:1996
920:1995
891:1994
844:1993
815:1992
750:1991
715:1990
666:2011
631:2022
600:2011
569:2011
541:2022
513:2017
487:2011
314:Gaza
265:NYPD
132:Date
653:CNN
479:CNN
358::
304:in
228:in
151:-5)
149:UTC
1176::
1158:,
1154:,
1150:,
1146:,
650:.
639:^
620:.
608:^
591:.
577:^
558:.
529:.
503:.
477:.
464:^
164:,
1162:)
699:e
692:t
685:v
668:.
633:.
602:.
571:.
543:.
515:.
489:.
196:6
144:)
20:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
