Jessica Chen was watching a presentation on the second ground of 345 Park Ave. in Midtown Manhattan on Monday night with about 150 folks when she mentioned she heard multiple gunshots fired “in fast succession” on the ground beneath her.
She rushed right into a convention room with dozens of others, the place they ultimately barricaded themselves within the room utilizing tables and “simply stayed nonetheless,” she informed ABC Information Reside in a telephone interview Monday evening.
“I feel it was very, very obvious by way of all this that lots of us have been younger, lots of us went by way of coaching in elementary college of what to do in an energetic shooter scenario,” she mentioned. “We have been all sadly ready.”
A person carrying physique armor and carrying a high-powered rifle had shot and killed at the very least 4 folks, together with an off-duty police officer working safety on the constructing, police sources informed ABC Information. After apparently barricading himself on the thirty third ground, the suspect was discovered lifeless from what’s believed to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, sources added.
Amid the energetic scenario, folks desperately looked for locations to cover within the convention room on the second ground, Chen mentioned.
“We have been hiding behind the massive monitor. Lots of people have been on the bottom. We flipped lots of the tables up,” she mentioned. “Some folks, in the event that they have been a bit later getting there, they actually, sadly, needed to simply pull curtains over themselves.”
Authorities reply to a taking pictures at 345 Park Ave. in New York, July 28, 2025.
WABC
Chen mentioned somebody within the room along with her had a “direct line” with police who have been in a position to replace them because the incident unfolded and informed them to remain in place. She mentioned lots of people have been additionally on their telephones, checking for updates on the scenario and reaching out to family members.
“I texted my mother and father that I liked them,” she mentioned. “I texted folks good in my life that I like them.”
She mentioned these within the room tried to assist one another keep calm as a lot as potential.
“We have been truthfully actually, actually scared,” she mentioned. “Each American has possible thought by way of the scenario of what ought to they do if an energetic shooter occurred? I’ve gone by way of some semi-close circumstances in elementary college, however even then, nothing might have ready any of us.”
“I feel all of us have been frozen,” she continued. “All of us have been shocked. Nothing might describe that feeling.”
As soon as they confirmed the shooter was on the thirty third ground, police had them stroll out slowly in an orderly style, she mentioned.
She mentioned she wasn’t carrying sneakers when she left and stepped on glass, although was in any other case doing OK.
“I feel that lots of the folks I’ve talked to, we’re all coming to the identical conclusion that this occurs too typically in America,” Chen mentioned. “We actually do thank all the faculties from throughout America that ensure that to very often practice their college students on precisely what to do in conditions like this.”
“It is very unlucky that every one Individuals have needed to suppose it by way of, however it’s the actuality of the world we stay in,” she added.
