Shooter kills 4, Including NYPD officer, in NYC office building
4 killed, including officer, in New York City shooting
A shooting in a Manhattan office tower left five shot and four dead, including an NYPD officer, before the shooter, Shane Tamura, took his own life. Tamura targeted the building due to his belief that the NFL was responsible for his problems; authorities are investigating his motive and background.
NEW YORK, NY - New York police are trying to make sense of the senseless act of violence on Monday in a Manhattan office tower where five people were shot, with four dying before the shooter took his own life.
What we know:
First, it starts with who he is: Shane Tamura, a California native who lived in Las Vegas, with a history of mental illness.
In his mind, his problems were caused by the National Football League, a league he was never a part of.
Panic and pain in the New York City high-rise on Monday evening, when the 27-year-old man, who had driven 2,500 miles from Las Vegas to New York, walked into a building on 345 Park Avenue and started shooting.
Dig deeper:
Among the five innocent people who were shot, four were killed, including New York City police officer Didarul Islam, father of two with a pregnant wife.
Officers stood at attention hands over their hearts as his flag-draped body was transferred from the hospital to the morgue.
"He made the ultimate sacrifice, shot in cold blood, wearing a uniform that stood for the promise that he made to this city," said New York City Police Commissioner, Jessica Tisch.
Workplaces became fortresses as people pulled together, blocking doors with office furniture.
Police say the gunman, Shane Tamura, was walking and firing an AR-15. Apparently trying to get to the National Football League executive offices but went to the wrong floor.
"He goes up to the 33rd floor, which is Rudin Management, firing rounds. He then proceeds down a hallway and shoots himself," said Tisch.
What they're saying:
A suicide note claimed he suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a degenerative brain disease that can only be detected by autopsy.
"He alluded to having CTE from playing in the NFL. He never played in the NFL. He alluded to CTE being the reason for his illness. It appears as though he was going after the employees in the NFL," said New York City Mayor, Eric Adams.
The horrific violence touched many in a personal way, including New York City's mayor, who as a young man worked in the mail room at 345 Park Avenue.
"And walking through the building and seeing the blood and the number of innocent people who were shot, it just brought me back to a full circle moment of someplace I worked as a young man," said Eric Adams.
The backstory:
The shooter was issued a concealed carry permit by Las Vegas police in 2022 and holds a private investigator license. He also worked in security at a casino.
Teams from New York headed to Las Vegas with search warrants for his home, devices and social media.
Last year and in 2022, Tamura was in a mental health crisis and was taken by Las Vegas police for psychological evaluation.
Sources who've seen the suicide note say the shooter asked his brain be studied after his death. Adding in the note: "I'm sorry"
The Source: Information in this article was provided by Mayor Eric Adams and a press conference held by the NYPD.