NYC Mass Shooting: What We Know About The Shooter, The Victims, and Possible Motive
We learning more details about the gunman who opened fire inside a Midtown Manhattan skyscraper early Monday night, killing four people — including a New York City police officer — before taking his own life. One person remains in critical condition. It’s the deadliest mass shooting in the city in 25 years.
The gunman, 27-year-old Shane Tamura of Las Vegas, opened fire inside the lobby of building at 345 Park Avenue, which has the officers for the NFL, and financial firms like Blackstone and KPMG. He then took the elevator to the 33rd floor, where he killed another victim before turning the gun on himself.
Authorities say the gunman appeared to be targeting the National Football League, which is headquartered in the building. They say the gunman carried a hand-written note expressing grievances with the NFL, and claiming he suffered from CTE (chronic traumatic encephalopathy), a brain condition linked to repeated head trauma.
Tamura seemed to have taken the wrong elevator, however, and ended up on the 33rd floor, home of real estate management firm for the building—Rudin Management.
INSIDE THE SHOOTING
Investigators said Tamura drove from Las Vegas to New York, double-parking his black BMW outside the building around 6:30 p.m. on Monday. He walked into the lobby carrying an M4 assault rifle, opening fire on NYPD Officer Didarul Islam, who was in uniform working a private security job in the lobby.
The gunman shot and killed two other people in the lobby, then got on the elevator.
Surveillance video also shows Tamura allowing a woman to walk out of the elevator without shooting her.
On the 33rd floor, Tamura killed a fourth person and then shot himself in the chest.
Workers in the building describe the terrifying scenes that unfolded, including barricading themselves from the shooter.
SIGNS OF A MOTIVE
Tamura never played in the NFL, but played competitively in high school. In the note, Tamura claimed to have CTE and asked that his brain be studied, writing: “You can’t go against the NFL, they’ll squash you.”
CTE can only be diagnosed after death through an autopsy of the brain, and it is currently unknown whether Tamura actually had the neurodegenerative disease. Officials say he “has a documented mental health history.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, CTE is believed to result from repeated head injuries. It has been identified in hundreds of former NFL players, including tight end Aaron Hernandez, who was convicted of murder and later died by suicide.
CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta says that it is possible high school athletes can develop CTE.
Despite having a history of mental health problems, Tamura still appeared to secure a Nevada concealed-carry permit. He worked in the Horseshoe hotel and casino’s surveillance department.
VICTIMS
The surviving victim appears to be an NFL employee. Commissioner Roger Goodell told staff that one of their colleagues was “seriously injured” in the shooting.
Flags in NYC remain at half-staff to honor fallen NYPD officer, 36-year-old Didarul Islam. He leaves behind a pregnant wife and two young sons.
Aland Etienne, an unarmed security officer working in the lobby of the building, was also killed.
Blackstone confirmed that senior executive Wesley LePatner was among the victims. She leaves behind her husband, a teenage daughter and a son in the seventh grade.
Julia Hyman, a 27 year old Cornell grad and an associate at Rudin Management, was the fourth victim.
WHAT’S NEXT
Mayor Adams tells Mo News that the NYPD is sending teams to Las Vegas to execute a search warrant of the shooter’s house and investigate his weapons.
He says it appears that the gunman purchased the revolver, which was found in his car, legally.
As for the M4 rifle used in the mass shooting, Adams says it appears that the lower part of the gun, called the lower receiver, was purchased by Tamura’s associate. It’s something the NYPD will be investigating.
HOW CAN WORKERS STAY SAFE?
Adams noted the high-rise building has numerous security measures, including an armed security officer and a button to freeze elevators.
The mayor encouraged workplaces to conduct active shooter drills similar to those now common in U.S. schools.
“Those drills work and they save lives,” Adams said, pointing to Rudin Management, which had bathrooms doubling as safe spaces with bulletproof doors.
He also highlighted the need for gun detection technology in the city, and credited programs that get guns off the street. Most importantly, he wants to remind residents: “If you see something, say something.”
GUN LAWS
New York has some of the strictest gun laws in the country, but former NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned that mass shootings like Monday’s will happen again without federal gun legislation. Current Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Adams had similar messages.
In a Tuesday interview for the Mo News Podcast, Cuomo — who is running as an Independent in New York City’s mayoral race — pointed to the law he signed as New York governor, which implemented an assault weapons ban.
However, he noted that despite New York’s laws, people can cross state lines with AR-15-style rifles — a common weapon in U.S. mass shootings — that were purchased elsewhere.
He also pointed to extreme views on both the left and right for creating public safety issues: from NRA lobbying against gun legislation on the right to the far-left movement calling for defunding the police.