A New York legislator dedicated to stamping out gun violence has been shot dead during a City Hall Council meeting by a political rival who was then killed by police.
City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said Othniel Askew pulled out a gun on the balcony of the second-floor City Hall chamber, one of the most tightly guarded buildings in the city, shortly after 2 p.m. and killed councilman James Davis (41) who was also on the balcony.
"Witnesses say they saw Askew standing over Davis, repeatedly firing shots," Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said at a news briefing. New York police then fatally shot Mr Askew.
Mr Askew (31) had arrived at City Hall as Mr Davis's guest and so did not have to pass through metal detectors, Mr Bloomberg told a news briefing. At the time of the shooting, Mr Davis was carrying a gun.
Mr Askew was challenging Davis for the Democratic Party nomination in the upcoming city council elections. It was unclear what his motive might have been.
"I've had some tough days in my life and in City Hall, but I don't think I've ever had a day as tough as this," said Mr Bloomberg, who was in City Hall at the time of the shooting and was unharmed.
Mr Davis, a black politician and church minister from Brooklyn, was a retired New York police officer and a former Rikers Island jail guard.
Almost a decade ago he founded "Love Yourself, Stop the Violence" - a group dedicated to stopping violence in urban neighbourhoods.