Gunman Kills Councillor in New York City Hall

A gunman opened fire from the balcony of New York city's council chamber yesterday, killing a political opponent before he was shot dead by a plainclothes police officer.

James Davis, a Brooklyn councillor, former police officer and anti-violence crusader, died after being shot twice in the chest. The gunman, who had bypassed security when he accompanied Mr Davis into the building, according to a police source, fell next to the councillor after the police officer returned fire.

The council had just finished the ceremonial part of its twice-monthly session when a man in a blue jacket stood up in the balcony and sprayed the chamber with bullets, firing more than a dozen shots, witnesses said.

Councillors and spectators dived for cover as the hall's rotunda echoed with the sound of screams and gunfire, witnesses said.

"It was so loud you couldn't hear the direction," said city council photographer, Dan Luhmann. "At first, it was absolute stillness. And then people rushed out and ducked under their desks and it was chaotic."

Mr Davis, 41, was an outspoken presence on the council with a strong following in Brooklyn. An independent African-American councillor, who often fell foul of the Democratic party machine, he was elected in 2001. He joined the New York police department in 1993, 10 years after he was allegedly beaten by two white officers. He started the charity called Love Yourself Stop the Violence, a group dedicated to stopping violence in urban America.

The killer was sitting in the balcony near Mr Davis when he suddenly shot the council officer, police sources said.

The security officer, who was on the chamber's floor, shot up at the gunman, striking him five times, police sources said.

While the precise motive of the gunman was unclear, the New York mayor, Michael Bloomberg, ruled out terrorism but condemned the shooting as an act "that strikes at the very essence of democracy. This is a terrible attack not just on the people themselves but on democracy. We will not rest until we find out who did it."

Security had been stepped up at city hall, particularly since the terrorist attacks of September 11, with metal detectors installed at either end of the plaza outside the building, along with metal barricades.

Police initially responded to the shooting with the assumption that it was a terrorist attack, sealing the exits and entrances to city hall and blocking off the surrounding streets.

Police officers, including some in riot gear, were seen running across the plaza in front of the building once the shooting stopped.