CNN was first of the cable news channels with the news of a shooting and hostage situation at an immigration center in the upstate New York city of Binghamton, at 11:58amET. HLN followed two minutes later, MSNBC reported it at 12:10pm and Fox News at 12:13.
ABC News broke in with a special report at 12:39pmET:
>Update: 1pmET – NBC News airs a special report.
>Update: 2pmET – With as many as 13 killed the cable networks are in continuing coverage while taking commercial breaks.
>Update: 5pmET – CBS’s Bob Orr gets exclusive details on what happened:
• Shooter drives his car to back of building, barricades the door. Walks in the front door shoots receptionist in head and kills 2 others at front desk. Goes to the southwest corner of the building where test being taken, shoots 11 people there and then kills himself, total 15 dead. Never took any hostages, other people in building hid and barricaded themselves, swat teams had to go through the buildings. He was carrying a bag had two guns, a 9 mm with extended clip and a .45 and a bag that had survival gear, extra ammunition and hunting knife. Described as a “classic spree killing,” by Orr’s source, a senior law enforcement official.
>More, after the jump: Johnny Dollar has the video as Fox News anchors get “Sterned.” “This is no time for a joke.”