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Chapter 317 - Chapter 317 Press Conference

"Members of the media, the New York CTU is now holding a public briefing on the Wall Street mass shooting incident that occurred earlier today. This morning, retired Army marksman Jim Carson opened fire from a room on the 32nd floor of the Torch Tower on Wall Street, targeting innocent civilians in the plaza below and in the office building across the street.

The suspect used a civilian version of the M4A1 rifle and fired a total of 121 rounds. As of now, we have confirmed 29 fatalities and 103 injuries. Our field agents arrived at the scene promptly and neutralized the shooter, preventing further escalation. Based on current evidence, we have confirmed there was only one perpetrator. This is a deeply regrettable incident, and I extend my deepest condolences…"

At the press conference, camera flashes lit up the room. CTU acted quickly—Jack Bauer understood that they had to seize control of the narrative before public opinion was set. Once the media decided on a story, changing it would be near impossible.

So New York CTU went into overdrive. Intelligence poured in from all directions, and soon a rough timeline began to form. Once they had the facts, CTU wasted no time calling the press.

The shooting began at 11:27 a.m. By 2:00 p.m., CTU New York Director David Boris stood at the podium, addressing the nation.

But before he could finish, journalists—unable to wait—began shouting questions.

"Director Boris, can you comment on the shooter's motive?"

"What actions will CTU take in response?"

"Is CTU responsible for failing to prevent this attack?"

"What is CTU's stance on gun control legislation?"

The briefing descended into chaos. Boris finally had to promise answers to restore order. Then he continued:

"The suspect was a retired serviceman. According to our investigation, he had entrusted his pension and personal savings to a financial investment firm. Due to the economic crisis and poor management, he lost everything. In addition, he accrued significant debt.

He also lost his job as a result of the recession. His wife suffered from end-stage kidney disease and required dialysis. According to our findings, she committed suicide three days ago. This tragic event may have been the immediate trigger for Jim Carson's actions.

His home was also foreclosed by the bank. All these factors compounded into severe psychological instability, which ultimately led to today's tragedy.

Furthermore, through technical analysis, we've identified his first victim as Kahn Porter—the very financial advisor responsible for the collapse of Carson's investments. We believe Carson initially intended to target Porter only, but lost control and began indiscriminately shooting at everyone in view."

The press erupted again. For days, the media had been focused on the financial crisis. Now the tragedy had a human face—and a direct link to Wall Street malpractice. The story practically wrote itself.

"Please, quiet down," Boris called, raising his voice. "There's more."

When the crowd settled, he continued:

"CTU had already conducted a threat risk assessment regarding the financial crisis and predicted that Wall Street might become a terror target. Accordingly, we stationed agents in the area on 24-hour standby. Not just here—other high-risk locations were also covered.

That decision saved lives. NYPD's first patrol car arrived 12 minutes after the shooting began. Our agent engaged the suspect at the 4-minute mark. Unfortunately, a nearby officer hesitated and failed to act, causing a delay.

With no backup, our agent had to take far more dangerous action than necessary to neutralize the threat. According to our calculations, the eight-minute delay could've allowed the shooter to fire up to 200 more rounds. Frankly, it's a miracle that only 29 people died. God was watching over us.

Everything I've just said is backed by surveillance footage. If your networks need the material, CTU will make it available."

Once again, the room exploded. It was the first time the media had heard detailed accounts of how the incident unfolded. No one had known CTU was on scene so quickly—nor that an NYPD officer had frozen under pressure, possibly costing lives.

As emotions surged, Boris gestured to begin the video presentation.

On the large screen, surveillance footage began to roll. First, Owen appeared, gun in hand, sprinting through a stairwell. The angle switched, showing a hallway camera capturing a visibly trembling officer standing frozen, as gunfire echoed around him.

Then Owen appeared again, striking the officer unconscious and attempting to breach the room—only to be driven back by gunfire through the door.

Boris narrated: "Our agent incapacitated the officer not out of malice, but to prevent a panicked friendly fire situation. The door failed to open because the suspect had barricaded it with furniture in advance."

The footage continued, showing Owen's distraction buying precious seconds for civilians below to escape. CTU had timed everything carefully.

Then Owen vanished from the footage—prompting murmurs from the crowd. That's when Boris resumed.

"Unable to breach the room, our agent chose a highly dangerous alternative: entering through the window. Without any safety equipment, this was essentially a death-defying act.

Since the rest of the action occurred outside the building, there is no camera footage available. However, our tech team has created an animated diagram based on the agent's testimony…"

The screen changed, now displaying a clean, simplified animation using stick figures. The animation illustrated how Owen descended from the 33rd floor to the 32nd using only a curtain rope, entered through the broken window, and eliminated the suspect.

Even without facial expressions, the scene was breathtaking. CTU had deliberately highlighted the height, the weakness of the rope, and the risk of failure from every angle.

In short: it was as dangerous as humanly possible. But it had been done anyway.

By the time the video ended, every camera in the room had captured it. Any outlet that failed to broadcast this would be finished.

Within minutes, news stations across the country broke into scheduled programming. The media didn't question the footage's authenticity—timestamps on the surveillance made forgery impossible.

Owen's name didn't appear once. But in the hearts of everyone watching, one figure had become the quiet hero of Wall Street.

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Fairy Tail: Igneel's Eldest Son (Chapter 256)

I Am Thalos, Odin's Older Brother (Chapter 336)

Reborn in America's Anti-Terror Unit (Chapter 542) 

Solomon in Marvel (Chapter 924) 

Becoming the Wealthiest Tycoon on the Planet (Chapter 1284) 

Surgical Fruit in the American Comics Universe (Chapter 1289) 

American Detective: From TV Rookie to Seasoned Cop (Chapter 1316)

American TV Writer (Chapter 1402)

I Am Hades, The Supreme GOD of the Underworld! (Chapter 570) 

Reborn as Humanity's Emperor Across the Multiverse (Chapter 660) 

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