Editor’s Note (2026)
This post was originally written on April 4, 2009, in the immediate aftermath of the Binghamton American Civic Association shooting. It was drafted as a contemporaneous response to disturbing public comments suggesting the gunman should have targeted AIG employees “just down the road.” Minor updates, factual clarifications, and related reading links were added in 2026 to preserve historical accuracy while maintaining the original tone and intent.
The tragic news of the April 3, 2009 Binghamton tragedy — where at least twelve people were killed at the American Civic Association — has been met with an outpouring of humanity…
Some “misguided apostates” who obviously don’t believe in the Ten Commandments (i.e. “thou shalt not kill”) made the following outrageous and disturbing comments to Binghamton Press Connects in reaction to the killings.
“It’s sad how situations like this result in innocents being killed before the gunmen take their own life. If you’re going to do that at least go kill someone who matters. AIG is only a few miles away…would have been better than attacking innocent people” BT26.
“You’re right, they don’t. It was merely a suggestion that any suicidal gunmen kill someone who matters as opposed to innocent people before taking his own life. Imagine the impact had he gone after the head honchos at AIG”. ATB Human
4/3/2009 3:35:01 PMI’m saddened that as an American that such ignorant people are citizens of this country That someone whould advocate the killing of other innocent people, especially in the immediate aftermath of what happened at the American Civic Center, is unfathomable.
As dismayed as I and many of you folks are about those in London at AIG Financial Products who wrote far more credit default swaps than they had capital on hand, exacerbated by investing the premiums from the swaps in questionable mortgages and the resulting contribution to the state of the financial world , the then and current standard for capital crimes framed by the standard of the 2009 commenter as “someone who matters” does not include these people in Vestal in New York.
The AIG office in Vestal had no staff involved in the credit default swap debacle. These are hardworking individuals with families, who are just as affected as anyone else by the poor decisions made by the London financial products division.
Fortunately the majority of commenters seemed to have reined the kooks in, but they’re out there. In the aftermath of the shooting AIG has nothng to do with gunman’s motives.
Motivation Behind the 2009 Binghamton Civic Center Shooting
The April 3, 2009 mass shooting at the American Civic Association in Binghamton, New York, was carried out by Jiverly Antares Wong, a 41-year-old naturalized American citizen of Vietnamese origin. He killed 13 people and wounded four others before taking his own life Wikipedia+1.
Authorities and investigators found no evidence of a terrorist or organized group being involved. The FBI dismissed claims by a Pakistani Taliban leader that his group was responsible 98.1 The Hawk. All evidence confirmed Wong acted alone 98.1 The Hawk.
While the exact psychological triggers were not fully disclosed in public reports, investigations and survivor accounts pointed to a mix of personal grievances and identity-related frustrations:
- Perceived police harassment: In a letter sent on the day of the shooting, Wong explicitly blamed authorities for what he described as harassment Center for Homeland Defense and Security.
- Feelings of humiliation and degradation: He expressed deep resentment over his limited English skills, which he said made him feel inferior and unable to fully integrate into American society 98.1 The Hawk+1.
- Employment struggles: Records indicated persistent difficulties finding steady work, which likely compounded his frustration and sense of marginalization 98.1 The Hawk.
- Erratic behavior: His history of unstable conduct and possible mental health issues were noted in background checks 98.1 The Hawk.
In summary, the shooting appears to have been driven by a combination of personal humiliation over language barriers, employment instability, and perceived mistreatment by authorities, rather than any political or ideological motive.
Related Reading
AIG 2009 Annual Report Overview | PDF | American International Group | Form 10 K
Binghamton Mass Shooting: 17 Years Later, We Remember April 3, 2026
Binghamton community remembers 17th anniversary of American Civic Association shooting April 3, 2026
Taxonomy Note (2026)
This post is indexed under Commentary & Public Policy, with secondary placement in Media & Public Perception and Financial Crisis Era (2008–2010). Tags include Binghamton Shooting, American Civic Association, AIG Vestal, Public Ignorance, Scapegoating, and 2009 Mass Shooting. These taxonomy choices are designed to cluster this entry with other contemporaneous reactions to public tragedies, AIG‑related posts from the financial crisis period, and posts documenting misinformation, misdirected anger, and community impact. The goal is to preserve the historical context of the 2009 discourse while enabling readers to navigate related themes across the archive
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