Security Guard Killed in Murder-Suicide at Manhattan Federal Building

Photo courtesy of Greg Wong/Twitter.

A gunman charged into a federal building in Manhattan’s West Village neighborhood near SoHo on Friday, killing a private security guard and shutting down streets in the area as squad cars and other emergency personnel rushed to the scene, police say.

Police told reporters the victim was identified as 53-year-old Idrissa Camara. He was employed by FJC security services under contract to the Department of Homeland Security. The shooter has been identified as 68-year-old Kevin Downing, a former federal employee from Fort Lee, New Jersey, police said.

“At approximately 5 p.m., a male entered the West Houston Street entrance of 201 Varick Street, produced a firearm from some kind of bag, and proceeded to shoot a private security guard,” an NYPD spokeswoman told Patch.

“After completing the shooting, the suspect walked past the security checkpoint and shot himself in the head,” she said. The suspect was pronounced dead at the scene.

The FDNY transported Camara to nearby Lenox Hill HealthPlex in critical condition.

Camara was declared dead at the emergency room, police say.

The federal building at 201 Varick holds several offices, including the Veterans Health Administration, Immigration Court, a U.S. Post Office and a federal detention center.

NYPD Chief of Department James O’Neill made the following remarks at a press conference:

“At this time it appears there were no other suspects on the scene and the building is secure. We are at the very preliminary stages of this investigation based on what we know now. At this point there is no indication of a nexus to terrorism.”

Downing’s residence has been secured while police wait for a court authorized search warrant.

A witness told the New York Post of the suspect: “He was holding a gun and waving it around in front of him as cops were chasing him. When I saw him I just started running as fast as I could and didn’t look back. This has to be the most surreal thing that has ever happened to me and I’ve been living in New York all my life.”

Said O’Neill at the press conference: “We are at the very early stages of this investigation and are working to establish his motive for coming here, if he had an intended target beyond the security officer, and what the motive was behind this crime.”