Police fatally shoot gunman outside historic New York City cathedral
'Bill Hemmer Reports' host gives update on shooting outside Cathedral of St. John the Divine in Harlem
A suspect who was gunned down by New York City police officers outside a Manhattan cathedral on Sunday had planned to hold hostages until his demands were met, according to a report.
Luis Vasquez, 52, of the Bronx, was carrying a note in his pocket, saying he planned to hold the hostages until the U.S. government, plus banks and corporations, agreed to provide aid to poor people in Latin American countries, WNBC-TV of New York City reported.
According to the note, which the station learned about from a senior law enforcement official, Vasquez would not have hurt the hostages unless his requests were denied, the report said.
In the note, Vasquez assailed a “U.S. regime which has committed robbery and more against the people of Latin America,” according to the news station.
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But the note provided no details about how he planned to gain control of the hostages, or why he thought he wouldn’t be returning to the apartment he shared with his mother.
New York police officers block off the scene of a shooting at the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine, Sunday, Dec. 13, 2020, in New York. (Associated Press)
Vasquez, who authorities said opened fire outside the Cathedral Church of St. John the Divine after a Christmas concert, had a criminal history that reportedly included a murder attempt.
More recently, he was reportedly nabbed for fare-beating in 2007 and marijuana possession in 2012. The outlet reported some of the charges have since been sealed.
The concert had just concluded and a crowd of several hundred people was drifting away when the gunman started shooting, sending people running down Amsterdam Avenue, screaming and diving to the sidewalk.
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A detective, a sergeant and a police officer who were at the event fired 15 rounds, killing the man, said New York Police Commissioner Dermot Shea.
Vasquez was carrying a backpack containing a can of gasoline, rope, wire, tape, knives and a well-worn Bible, Shea said. No one other than Vasquez was injured.
Fox News’ Stephanie Pagones contributed to this story.
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