NY Gunman Angry Over Poor English Skills, Job Loss

[Dennis Baron]

And how is this going to play in Iowa?

http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/2009/04/04/us/AP-Binghamton-Shootings.html

April 4, 2009
NY Gunman Angry Over Poor English Skills, Job Loss

By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Filed at 9:04 a.m. ET

BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (AP) -- The man who police say killed 13 people in a  
shooting rampage inside an immigrant community center was depressed  
and angry over losing his job and about his poor English skills, the  
Binghamton mayor and police said Saturday.

Police Chief Joseph Zikuski told NBC's ''Today'' that people  
''degraded and disrespected'' the gunman over his poor English. Mayor  
Matthew Ryan, speaking on ABC's ''Good Morning America,'' said the  
man, believed to be 42-year-old Vietnamese immigrant Jiverly Voong,  
was angry about his language issues and his lack of employment.

. . .


Initial reports suggested Voong had recently been let go from IBM. But  
a person at IBM said there was no record of a Jiverly Voong ever  
working there.

''He had lost a job recently and was somewhat angry,'' Ryan told ABC.  
''He had language issues, didn't speak English that well, and was  
really concerned about his employment situation.''

...






____________________
Dennis Baron
Professor of English and Linguistics
Department of English
University of Illinois
608 S. Wright St.
Urbana, IL 61801

office: 217-244-0568
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