NFL shooter Shane Tamura (27) had history of mental illness, yet had been given concealed-carry firearms permit

Irish Independent

5 days ago

Shane Tamura (27) stormed the Midtown office building which houses the NFL, Blackstone and other businesses, and began 'spraying' the lobby with bullets from an assault rifle.
Four people – a security guard, an off-duty NYPD officer and two female corporate executives – were killed before Tamura turned the gun on himself, authorities said.
Tamura, a former high-school football player, claimed in a suicide note that he had chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and blamed the NFL.
Mr Tamura has a documented mental health history
CTE, a disease caused by repeated head trauma and related to football, can only be discovered after death.
In the note, Tamura aired his grievances against the NFL, and blamed CTE for his mental health struggles, officials told NBC News. He had travelled to 345 Park Avenue to target the NFL, Mayor Eric Adams said in interviews.
'According to our law enforcement partners in Las Vegas, Mr Tamura has a documented mental health history,' NYPD commissioner Jessica Tisch said.
'His motives are still under investigation and we are working to understand why he targeted this particular location.'
According to Eyewitness News, Tamura was twice sectioned, in Nevada in 2022 and 2024. During what in the US is known as a 'hold', someone is detained for up to 72 hours in hospital if they are deemed a danger to themselves or others. It was unclear how long Tamura was held in both instances.
Tamura has a previous arrest for trespassing in the state, though the Clark County District Attorney's office declined to prosecute the case, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
A Las Vegas police source told Eyewitness News Tamura obtained his concealed-carry permit in 2022 in Las Vegas, Nevada. A photo obtained by The New York Post showed the permit, which has a 2027 expiration date.
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When asked if Tamura's history should have prevented him from obtaining the firearm, police in Las Vegas deferred to the NYPD. The NYPD did not respond to further questions on Tamura's mental health history when contacted.
You can't go against the NFL, they'll squash you
Individuals who are 'declared mentally incompetent' and are 'admitted into a mental health facility within five years' are disqualified from holding concealed-carry permits, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said. Other disqualifiers include being a fugitive, prior felony convictions, having a restraining order against you, and being on parole.
Nevada, where the deadliest mass shooting in US history took place in 2017, has worked to strengthen its gun laws in recent years, though handguns, rifles and shotguns can be purchased without a licence or registration.
Tamura used a Palmetto State Armory M4 assault rifle, according to The Post.
In the suicide note found with Tamura's body, Tamura also reportedly requested that his brain be studied. 'Football gave me CTE and it caused me to drink a gallon of antifreeze,' the note read, according to CNN. 'You can't go against the NFL, they'll squash you.'