No one hurt as gunman fires shots in the air outside UN building in New York

No one was injured in a shooting incident at United Nations Headquarters in New York today when a gunman fired several shots in the air just outside the UN Secretariat building.

The gunman, identified as Steve Kim, was immediately apprehended by members of the United States Secret Service, US Department of Security Service, New York Police Department and UN Security. He had reportedly entered the UN complex by jumping over the fence from First Avenue at around 43rd Street before firing seven shots from a .357 revolver, aiming high as he stood facing the 38-floor glass-and-steel skyscraper.

No one was injured by the bullets, which struck the 18th and 20th floors, narrowly missing several UN employees. After discharging the weapon, Mr. Kim, who is in the custody of US government authorities, threw identical papers in the air which "contained a rambling political message about human rights in North Korea," according to UN Security and Safety Service Chief Michael McCann. CLICK

HERE FOR VIDEO OF BRIEFING

While Mr. Kim's nationality is not yet known, Chief McCann said he was "believed to be an American citizen" and was not a UN employee.

The gunman, who was born in 1945, apparently came to the UN "by himself," Mr. McCann said, adding that this would have to be confirmed.

Asked about security measures, Mr. McCann said steps were being taken to strengthen the perimeter of the UN complex through both the “strengthening security plan,” which has already been adopted, as well as the UN’s overall capital master plan, which is currently in development. Those plans called for either replacing the current fence or putting an additional barrier behind it, and installing a closed-circuit television system, among other measures.

Mr. McCann said that as a matter of course, UN Security would also conduct a "very detailed critique and review of this event, what took place, how quickly we responded, and look to see if there is anything that we should do differently or any policies or procedures that should be changed."

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) will process the arrest, according to UN Security, and Mr. Kim will be prosecuted under US laws.

To a question on why Mr. Kim would fire at the UN in order to call attention to human rights issues, Chief McCann said, "we don't see any logic to bringing attention to his cause in that manner."