On Monday, July 28th, a gunman fatally shot four people inside a Midtown Manhattan office tower before dying by suicide on the 33rd floor. One of the victims was a New York City police officer.
Authorities identified the shooter as 27-year-old Shane Tamura of Las Vegas. Around 6:30 p.m., he entered 345 Park Avenue, an office tower that houses major firms including the NFL and Blackstone, armed with a rifle. According to the NYPD, Tamura began firing in the lobby, fatally shooting 36-year-old Officer Didarul Islam, who was assigned to security duty at the time.
Islam, a three-year NYPD veteran and father of two with a third child on the way, was remembered by Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch for his bravery.
Tamura continued firing, killing Blackstone executive Wesley LePatner and a building security guard. He then entered an elevator, reportedly sparing one bystander, and traveled to the 33rd floor, where he shot and killed a fourth victim before taking his own life.
Police recovered a handwritten note from Tamura, in which he claimed to suffer from Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) and blamed the NFL for allegedly concealing the long-term effects of football-related brain trauma. “Study my brain, please. I’m sorry,” one page read.
Tamura had no official diagnosis of CTE or any professional affiliation with the NFL. Records show he played high school football in Los Angeles and had a documented history of mental health issues, including psychiatric holds in 2022 and 2024. He also held a Nevada concealed carry permit issued in 2022.
One other victim, an NFL employee, was injured in the shooting and remains in stable condition. The incident caused widespread panic in the area, prompting evacuations and a thorough police search of the building that lasted several hours.
